Early firecracker blitz in Delhi sparks Diwali worries

The ban on firecrackers in Delhi and its neighbouring cities was brazenly flouted on Sunday evening as residents celebrated Karva Chauth

The ban on firecrackers in Delhi and its neighbouring cities was brazenly flouted on Sunday evening as residents celebrated Karva Chauth, sounding alarm bells about poor enforcement ahead of Diwali festivities, when the air is expected to become worse due to a host of factors.

While the air quality was deteriorating slowly throughout Sunday, it appeared to have accelerated after sundown, having shot up from 277 at 4pm to 303 at 11pm. (AFP)

Firecrackers echoed across various parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) from 6.30pm onwards, raising questions not just about the police’s inability to stop the practice but also about how the prohibited items were brought to the city in such large volumes though their sale was barred.

MK Gupta, president of the GK-1 S-block RWA, said there were multiple instances of firecracker use in the south Delhi neighbourhood. “People were bursting firecrackers on their rooftops soon after the moon was seen. We deployed guards, but it was still difficult to catch the offenders,” Gupta said.

The United Residents Joint Action (URJA), an apex body representing over 2,500 RWAs in Delhi, received complaints from various areas including Karol Bagh, Rajendra Nagar, Greater Kailash, Janakpuri and Ashok Vihar about widespread firecracker use.

Atul Goyal, president of URJA, attributed the problem to delayed implementation of the firecracker ban. “Normally, firecrackers were not burst on Karva Chauth,” Goyal said, and added that Sunday’s trend was a worrying sign for what may come. “Though the scale was nowhere close to Diwali, this still shows that people have bought firecrackers in advance and the same people are likely to burst firecrackers on Diwali too. We expect the scale to be five to 10 times worse on Diwali day.”

The Delhi government announced its ban on firecrackers on September 9, with environment minister Gopal Rai stating that all types of firecrackers, including green crackers, cannot be sold, purchased, stocked or manufactured in the capital. The formal notification of the ban was eventually released on October 14.

To be sure, firecrackers which have been banned every year since 2017in an effort to avert the pollution crisis.

Experts and citizens said that it meant little on the ground. Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental activist who has made multiple calls over Diwali celebrations in previous years to report bursting of firecrackers, said police fail to take action even when shown proof. “No matter what kind of ban is in place, it is bound to fail if enforcement is weak and the Delhi Police is clearly not interested in ensuring a ban on firecrackers is implemented. Even on Diwali, when firecrackers are being burst everywhere, we see very little prosecution.”

When contacted, Delhi Police spokesperson Sanjay Tyagi said details of the action taken on the use of firecrackers by any of the 15 police districts was not immediately available.

While the air quality was deteriorating slowly throughout Sunday, it appeared to have accelerated after sundown, having shot up from 277 at 4pm to 303 at 11pm.

The situation was mirrored in neighbouring cities. Amit Jindal, president of Vipul Greens RWA in Gurugram, shared his concern: “Despite the government’s restrictions on conventional crackers, the sale of firecrackers is in full swing, and people have already started using them. During Karva Chauth, we witnessed a significant amount of noise pollution, and this will only increase as we approach Diwali.”

Environmental activist Ruchika Sethi Takkar highlighted the ineffectiveness of current regulations in Gurugram. “Despite the ban on firecrackers, last year’s sales continued unabated in Gurgaon, with dealers openly defying regulations. Daily sales occurred, catering to clients from Delhi and elsewhere. Shockingly, dealers admitted to selling banned fireworks, exploiting the ‘green cracker’ label.”

The Supreme Court in 2018 banned all types of firecrackers in the Capital. While it was lifted partly to allow for so-called green crackers in other metropolitan cities, the complete ban stayed for Delhi-NCR. So-called green crackers are supposed to be free of mercury, arsenic and barium -- particularly toxic but common compounds in firecrackers. Some NCR cities, however, have allowed people to burst green firecrackers, although experts caution these might just be falsely branded.

Meanwhile, authorities pledged to take action. Nishant Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of Gurugram, said: “We have set up teams to keep a strict check on the illegal sale and bursting of firecrackers in the district, especially with Diwali approaching.” He emphasised that these teams will ensure compliance with the ban on traditional crackers and take immediate action against violators.

In Noida, where only green firecrackers are permitted, DK Gupta, the UP Pollution Control Board regional officer from Greater Noida, said an official advisory is likely in the next few days. “Only green firecrackers are permitted, but there has been no clarification yet regarding the decibel levels allowed,” the official said.

Experts, however, are sceptical over what green firecrackers are and whether are any less polluting.

Historical data from the CPCB shows a consistent spike in AQI the day after Diwali in seven of the last eight years, barring 2022 when strong winds and rain helped disperse firecracker emissions. In 2021, the AQI shot up from 382 (very poor) on Diwali day to 462 (severe) the following day.

Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, warned that Sunday evening serves as a cautionary tale for enforcement agencies. “We see policies come out each year, including the firecracker ban, but until enforcement is up to the same level, we will never see the results desired. There is still time to crack down on sale of firecrackers even now so we don’t see a sharp spike in pollution around Diwali,” he said.

A Delhi Police officer, who asked not to be named, claimed that beat officers and other staff from police stations were patrolling the area and warning people against the use of firecrackers. “Massive foot patrolling is taking place these days to ensure that shopkeepers do not sell firecrackers. If one is found selling, action is taken against them,” the officer said.

Air quality on Monday was already in the “very poor” category, with a thick haze bringing back the painful memories previous years’ pollution crises.