Guidelines on sale, use of firecrackers issued
   Date :10-Nov-2020

Guidelines fire cracker_1
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Raipur,
 
Firecrackers can be burst between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali and Guru Parv, between 6 am and 8 am on Chhath Puja, and from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am on New Year/Christmas
 
 
In compliance with an order issued by the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh R P Mandal has come up with guidelines for sale and use of firecrackers in State. The cities with good/satisfactory/moderate Air Quality Index (AQI) are allowed to sale and use of green firecrackers for a period of two hours only. The decision has come into effect keeping in mind festive season- Diwali, Chhath Puja, Christmas, Guru Parv and New Year.
 
 
As per NGT guidelines, firecrackers can be burst between 8 pm and 10 pm on the occasion of Diwali and Guru Parv. Similarly, green firecrackers can be burst from 6 am to 8 am on the occasion of Chhath Puja, and between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am on the occasion of New Year/Christmas. Further, the NGT quoted an order of the Supreme Court on the bursting and sale of crackers. The order reads that improved and green crackers causing little or no harm to the environment can be sold by the traders who have licence for the same.
 
The firecrackers with high decibel of sound cannot be sold as a certain limit has been set to curb noise pollution. Sake and use of series crackers, ‘ladiyon’ (type of crackers) are banned. Licence of manufacturers using lithium, arsenic, antimony, lead and mercury in the crackers will be cancelled. Online sell of crackers has also been banned. The district collectors and superintendents of police of Chhattisgarh have been asked for widespread publicity of the guidelines. All the seven regional offices of Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation such as Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Ambikapur and Jagdalpur have been asked for regular monitoring of air quality and updating the same on the website of the board. Traders/citizens found violating the guidelines may be punished.