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Punjab CM announces 2-hour window for use of green firecrackers on Diwali, Gurpurab
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed cities and towns in India with ‘moderate’ air quality (or below) to only allow the sale of green crackers and restricted timings to burst them during festivals.
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a two-hour window for the use of green firecrackers on Diwali and Gurpurab, with curb for Christmas too, except in Mandi Gobindgarh where a total ban is imposed from midnight of November 9-10 till November 30-December 1 midnight due to the poor Air Quality Index (AQI) levels.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed cities and towns in India with ‘moderate’ air quality (or below) to only allow the sale of green crackers and restricted timings to burst them during festivals.
The NGT published its November 5 order on Monday that specified that average air quality for each city was to be calculated for November 2019 and then declared whether it was ‘poor’ or ‘moderate’ or otherwise. For NCR and those cities with ‘poor’ (or worse) air quality, the NGT directed a total ban on the sale and use of firecrackers from November 9-10, 2020 to the midnight of November 30-December 1, which would be reviewed thereafter.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorises AQI levels in the 0-50 range as good; 51-100 as satisfactory; 101-200 as moderate; 201-300 as poor; 301-400 as very poor. Green crackers have 30% lower emissions of toxic gases than traditional ones and they do not contain barium nitrate, a metal oxide that increases both air and noise pollution.
To address the issue of pollution which could aggravate the Covid-19 situation, NGT said the timings for bursting crackers other than green ones be restricted to two hours during festivals for cities and towns with ‘moderate’ air quality, as may be specified by the state concerned.
“If nothing is specified by the state, timing will be 8pm to 10pm on Diwali and Gurupurab, 6am to 8am on Chatt and 11.55 pm to 12.30 am during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. All states may initiate special drives to contain air pollution from all sources in view of potential of aggravation of Covid-19,” read the order.
The chief secretaries and director-general of police were directed to issue orders with enforcement guidelines, while pollution control boards were asked to monitor air quality status during this period.
