A similar ban will also be enforced in “all cities/ towns in the state where the average ambient air quality during November (as per available data of last year) is of ‘poor’ and above category”.
Ahead of Diwali, the Haryana government Sunday banned sale and use of firecrackers in its 14 NCR districts – Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Jhajjar, Jind, Karnal, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Palwal, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak and Sonipat.
A similar ban will also be enforced in “all cities/ towns in the state where the average ambient air quality during November (as per available data of last year) is of ‘poor’ and above category”.
“The cities/ towns in which air quality is ‘moderate’ or below, only green crackers shall be sold,” mentioned an order issued by the State Disaster Management Authority Sunday.
The order further mentions: “The cities/ towns in which quality is ‘moderate’ or below, the timings for use of crackers, on Diwali days or any other festivals like Gurupurab, will strictly be from 8 pm till 10 pm only. For Chhath, the same will be from 6 am to 8 am. On Christmas and New Year eve, when such fireworks start around midnight that is 12 am, it will be from 11.55 pm till 12.30 am only.”
The Haryana State Pollution Board will issue a list of these cities and towns separately and make the same available online on their website and also publicise the same for information of the public.
According to the new provisions, in areas where use and bursting of crackers is allowed, community fire cracking shall be promoted.
“Particular areas/fields would be pre-identified and pre-designated by the authorities concerned immediately and the same shall be published for information of the public. Even for marriages and other occasions, only green crackers are permitted. The sale of crackers shall only be through licensed traders. No e-commerce websites, including Flipkart, Amazon… shall accept any online orders and effect online sales,” mentions the order.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board shall carry out short-term monitoring in the cities for 14 days (commencing immediately) for parameters namely, aluminium, barium, iron apart from regulatory parameters against the short-term Ambient Air Quality Criteria Values (AAQCVs) proposed by the CPCB with regard to bursting crackers.
“This will help in generation of data on pollution caused by bursting of firecrackers and would be helpful in regulation and control of quality of aluminium, barium and iron used in the manufacture of firecrackers.”
According to the directive, DCs shall constitute joint inspection teams for enforcing these instructions and directions and shall ensure extensive checking and action against the violators as per law/rules/instructions/directions issued from time to time by the state government.
“Any violation of this shall be punishable under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and other provisions as applicable.”
Explaining reasons for enforcing the restrictions, the government said: “Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic through which the State of Haryana is passing and considering the approaching winter season in which the elderly children, persons with co-morbidities and others, may develop respiratory problems. During the approaching festive season of Diwali, Gurupurab and Kartik Purnima, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, people usually burst crackers which can adversely affect the respiratory health of vulnerable groups, besides aggravating health conditions of Covid-19 positive persons staying in home isolation.”
