Many states are issued the decision to ban crackers or limit their usage in their jurisdictions, ahead of Diwali, keeping in mind the air pollution and stubble burning in the winter season. The government of Haryana has also issued a similar decision.
The Haryana government has decided to ban the sale and usage of firecrackers in 14 districts of the state which are sharing a border or near Delhi. This announcement has been issued by the government on October 31, just a few days before Diwali.
The official order of the state government reads, “There will be a total ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers in Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Jind, Karnal, Mahendergarh, Nuh, Palwal, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, and Sonipat.”
The government has also said that crackers are not only banned in districts that are in the National Capital Region but also in areas with air quality in the ‘poor’ and below categories. Further, the state has also designated a time for bursting firecrackers in the rest of the districts.
The government order states that the towns where the air quality is in the “moderate” or below category will be allowed the usage and sale of only green firecrackers. The bursting of crackers in Diwali and Gurupurab will only be allowed from 8 pm to 10 pm.
Similar guidelines have been issued for other upcoming festivals. For Chhath Puja, crackers will be allowed from 6 am to 8 am. For Christmas and New Year’s Eve, crackers will be permitted from 11.55 pm on December 24 to 12.30 am on December 25 and from 11.55 pm on December 31 to 12.30 am on January 1, respectively.
The government order has also said that only green crackers will be permitted for marriage functions and other occasions. It also states that the sale of crackers will only be permitted through licensed traders and e-commerce portals, including Flipkart and Amazon.
Several states, including Odisha, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, and others, have issued similar orders for the sale and usage of firecrackers in the festival season, to prevent air pollution in the country, which is very severe during the winter season.
