The Delhi Government has banned the production, sale and use of all types of firecrackers in the national Capital till January 1, 2023. This time there will also be a ban on online sale and delivery of firecrackers in the city, said Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday. Despite a ban on crackers in the last two years, the pollution levels in the national Capital continued to remain in the poor zone in the subsequent week following Diwali.
Rai said in a tweet in Hindi: “To protect people from the danger of pollution, the manufacture, storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers will be banned in Delhi this year, like previous years. This year, the online sale/delivery of firecrackers will also be banned. The ban will be in force till January 2023.” The Delhi Police, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Revenue Department will work together to enforce the ban on firecrackers, which comes ahead of Diwali which will be celebrated in October.
“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,” said Rai.
“Last year many incidents of people bursting crackers were reported in Delhi due to easy availability of firecrackers. At the same time, the Delhi government does not want any financial loss to the traders and dealers this time,” said Rai. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded its poorest post-Diwali air quality in five years in November 2021, with a deadly cocktail of noxious fumes from firecrackers and stubble burning pushing 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) to "severe" category (462). Residents flouted ban on firecrackers to celebrate Diwali and emissions from farm fires in region had peaked at 36 per cent.
The Delhi Police had arrested 281 people — 138 for selling and supplying firecrackers and 143 for bursting those — during Diwali last year (September 29 to November 4). Firecrackers weighing a total of 19,702.489 kg were seized during period.
In 2020, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned firecrackers from November 9 to 30 in National Capital Region (NCR) and in all places where average air quality that month dropped below the ‘poor’ category.
A ban on firecrackers was in place in Delhi last year as well.Under measures to be taken when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is in the ‘poor’ category, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) also says the orders of courts or the NGT regarding the ban on firecrackers are to be strictly enforced.
A study— Chemical Speciation and Source Apportionment of Ambient PM2.5 in New Delhi Before, During, and After the Diwali Fireworks — scientists from IIT-Delhi and published in the Atmospheric Pollution Research journal revealed that biomass burning contributes the most to the air pollution of the national capital, and the pollutants from Diwali firecrackers don’t even remain in the air for a day. According to the research, biomass burning during winter includes stubble burning and burning of firewood etc for heat.