Delhi reimposes ban on all crackers till January

A similar ban was also imposed last citing dangerous levels of air pollution during Diwali and a surge in Covid-19 cases.

A complete ban on the use, sale and production of firecrackers in Delhi was reinstated on Wednesday, environment minister Gopal Rai announced, adding that the restrictions will remain in place till January 1 and will also cover online sale and delivery.

A complete ban means it will also apply to the sale of so-called green firecrackers. (PTI)

The same restrictions were in force last year, becoming an annual affair to deal with what is now a perennial air quality crisis that hits the national capital in the run-up and during the winter season.

“...to save people from pollution in Delhi like last year this time also the production, storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers are being completely banned so that lives can be saved,” Rai tweeted in Hindi on Wednesday morning.

A complete ban means it will also apply to the sale of so-called green firecrackers.

The restrictions announced on Wednesday are in line with standing court orders. The National Green Tribunal in 2020 banned the sale of all firecrackers in any district with air quality index worse than poor (an AQI level of 201 or more).

Diwali will be celebrated on October 24 this year. (HT Illustration)

The restriction was endorsed by the Supreme Court in 2021, which rejected a challenge against the ruling.

Rai said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Police, and the revenue department will draw up an action plan for strict enforcement of the ban.

In 2021, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the ban on September 15. DPCC later notified the ban on September 28, saying it will cover green firecrackers.

Diwali will be celebrated on October 24 this year. Typically, people use firecrackers that emit hazardous levels of smoke, including toxic compounds. This smoke usually lingers on, hanging in the relatively still air typical of the pre-winter months.

In years when Diwali is celebrated later in the year, especially on a day in the first two weeks of November, the cocktail of toxic gases mixes with smoke from farm fires in neighbouring paddy-growing states where farmers burn crop residue to clear their fields.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that while the ban is an important step towards controlling the episodic spike in pollution, there need to be awareness campaigns in the run-up to Diwali.

“During Diwali, there is a sharp rise in pollutants during a small window, which can stay in the air for a substantial period of time, so while a ban is beneficial, given the fact that Diwali and firecrackers have become deeply rooted in our culture, it is important to ensure people understand why the ban is important,” she said, adding that the restriction was also difficult to implement in only a single state as cross-boundary sale can continue.

Last year, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the ban on September 15. The DPCC notified the ban on September 28, saying it will cover green firecrackers.

The green firecracker classification, announced by SC in 2017, involves products that do not include barium, lithium, arsenic, antimony, lead and mercury, which can harm people’s lungs and eyes. But according to an NGO’s survey report submitted to the top court last year, most of the “green crackers” that were tested were found to contain the banned chemicals and that these were sold with “fake QR codes” printed on the boxes, which were meant to show standards conformity.

Rai said the ban was being imposed in a timely manner in order to avoid any financial losses to traders and dealers, stating the action plan being drawn will help prevent these prohibited firecrackers to be burst or sold in Delhi.

“As Delhi’s pollution issues worsen over the winter, the burning of firecrackers also seems to be an important contributing factor. In view of such a situation of pollution, a complete ban is being imposed on the production, storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers, so that people’s lives can be saved,” he said later.

“Also, the sale and delivery of any form of firecrackers online would be completely prohibited this year due to the fact that it was seen that many people purchased firecrackers online last year. In order to prevent confusion among the public regarding firecrackers, this restriction will apply to all sorts of firecrackers,” the minister added.