166 arrested for violating SC order on bursting firecrackers: police data

More than 160 people were arrested for bursting illegal firecrackers and violating the Supreme Court-mandated two-hour window to burst green crackers in Delhi on Diwali night, police said on Monday.

According to the data released by police, 371 cases were registered and 3,500kg banned firecrackers were seized last night.

Of the total cases, 56 were registered for storing and selling firecrackers illegally and 44 people were arrested. The rest 315 cases were registered for bursting illegal firecrackers and also for bursting any cracker outside the two-hour window; 166 people were arrested for the offences, the data showed.

"A total of 371 cases were registered (for various violations), 210 people were arrested and 3764.75 kg firecrackers was seized on Diwali," the data stated.

Police received 940 calls on Diwali for violation of several rules.

The maximum number of cases were registered in Dwarka district at 75. West district reported 56 cases, northeast 54, Shahdara 34, Rohini 23, Northwest 22, South 21, East 19, Southeast 18, Central 17, North 15, Outer Delhi 13 and southwest district 4.

Out of the total 210 arrests, 52 were made by Northeast district police, 22 by South, 21 by Rohini, 15 by Central, 15 by Northwest, 30 by West, 13 by Southeast, 7 by Outer, 8 by Shahdara, 9 by Dwarka, 5 by Southwest and 13 by North districts.

Of the firecrackers seized, 1321.9 kg was seized in northeast, 41.8 kg in Central, 118.9 kg in North, 16.2 kg in Northwest, 164.65 kg in South, 38 kg in Dwarka, 118 kg in West, 704.25 kg in Outer, 728 kg in Rohini, 40 kg in Shahdara, 174.85 kg in Southeast, 298.2 kg in Southwest districts.

Last year, the Supreme Court banned polluting firecrackers and ordered that only green crackers, said to cause 30 per cent less pollution, can be manufactured and sold. It allowed people to burst only green crackers between 8pm and 10pm on Diwali.

Delhi police had launched a special drive to check the sale of illegal firecrackers. During the drive this Diwali season, 433 cases were registered, 261 people were arrested and 9758.04 kg firecrackers was seized.