Diwali Firecracker Ban

Jharkhand is geared up to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with fervour and gaiety on Monday, amid some "restrictions" imposed by the state pollution control board, officials said. People are permitted to burst firecrackers within a two-hour window from 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali night, as per an order issued by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB). Air quality in the urban areas of all the districts ranges from "good to satisfactory this year", an official said, citing the order. The Central Pollution Control Board categorises air quality index levels in the 0-50 range as 'good', 51-100 as 'satisfactory', 101-200 as 'moderate', 201-300 as 'poor' and 301-400 as 'very poor'. The sale of firecrackers with less than a 125-decibel limit has been permitted in all the districts, he said. The JSPCB, in its order, said that violation of its guidelines would invite legal action under sections of the penal code and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, ...

India's fireworks economy has undergone a significant transformation over the years, shaped by stringent pollution regulations and local bans

The Supreme Court order, allowing the sale and bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR region, may increase the number of families bursting fire crackers by 40 per cent as compared to the last year, raising fears that 'regular fireworks' could also make a comeback, a LocalCircles study said. The study, conducted among more than 38,000 residents across Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, said "34 per cent of families in Delhi-NCR surveyed are likely to burn crackers this Diwali; half of them may also burn regular crackers in addition to the green ones." Of the total number of people surveyed, 17 per cent said they would burst only green crackers, while another 17 per cent said they would use both green and regular crackers, the study noted, indicating that the illegal sale and use of conventional fireworks may persist despite restrictions. The study added that the rise comes after the apex court's order of October 15, which permitted the sale and bursting of only ...

The Supreme Court said that Delhi residents will be allowed to burst only certified low-emission crackers between October 18 and 21, from 6 pm to 10 pm, including on Diwali and the day before

This decision could mark the first festival season with legal fireworks in nearly five years, amid concerns over enforcement and the risk of worsening air pollution

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that the Supreme Court allow the bursting of green crackers to be permitted from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali under strict conditions

The bench made it clear that the manufacturers must ensure that these crackers are not sold in Delhi and the National Capital Region until further orders

The Supreme Court has demanded explanations from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Delhi police regarding the failure to enforce the ban

The Delhi sky lit up on Thursday as people celebrated Diwali defying a ban on firecrackers. Areas including Lajpat Nagar, Kalkaji, Chhatarpur, Jaunapur, East of Kailash, Saket, Rohini, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, Vikas Puri, Dilshad Garden, Burari and many other neighbourhoods of east and west Delhi saw firecrackers being burst. At 9 pm, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 327, with Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aaya Nagar, Bawana, Burari, Mathura Road, IGI Airport, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Patparganj, Rohini, Shadipur, Sonia Vihar, Wazirpur, Mandir Marg, Nehru Nagar, Najafgarh and other weather-monitoring stations witnessing "very poor" air quality, according to the Sameer app that provides hourly updates of the National AQI published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). With the 24-hour AQI recorded at 328 at 4 pm, Delhi experienced its worst air quality on Diwali in the last three years. Following the practice of the last four years, the city ...

Earlier on Monday, Gopal Rai launched the 'Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi' campaign, urging the public to avoid firecrackers to keep pollution in check

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has put a complete ban on all kinds of firecrackers on manufacturing, storage, selling, and bursting up to January 1, 2025

Delhi air pollution: Doctors say breathing in the polluted air of Delhi is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking approximately ten cigarettes a day

This comes after the city was engulfed in a thick layer of smog following the bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night

A stringent enforcement of the ban on firecrackers holds the promise of delivering the best air quality on Diwali day in eight years for Delhi on Sunday. Delhiites woke up to clear skies and abundant sunshine, and the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 202 at 7 am, the best in at least three weeks. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'. Saturday's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 220, the lowest for the day before Diwali in eight years. This time, Delhi saw a sharp improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali which can be attributed to intermittent rainfall on Friday and wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants. To put this in perspective, Thursday's 24-hour average AQI stood at 437. Delhi recorded an AQI of 312 on Diwali last year, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017

Firecracker ban in Delhi and Karnataka government not granting license for the sale are among several reasons

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had asked Delhi police not to issue temporary licences for the sale of firecrackers in the capital city

The Supreme Court refused to interfere in Delhi government's decision to ban firecrackers. Delhi Government banned bursting, sale, storage and even manufacturing of firecrackers in the Capital city

Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that government has decided to ban production, storage, sale, and bursting of crackers

Following a surge in complaints after Diwali in October, the Canadian city of Brampton unanimously moved a motion on Thursday to ban fireworks

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 312 was the second best for the Diwali day in seven years