CHANDIGARH: Haryana government has imposed a ban on selling and bursting of fire crackers in 14 districts adjoining to National Capital Region (NCR) citing Covid-19 pandemic as the reason and approaching winters to keep respiratory problem among elders and children under check.
The order seeks the ban around Diwali, Gurupurab, Kartik Purnima, Christmas evening and New Year eve saying bursting of crackers during this period can affect respiratory health of vulnerable groups , besides aggravating health condition of COVID 19 positive persons staying in home isolation.
In its order released late Sunday, the Haryana government asked all deputy commissioners (DC’s) of 14 districts– Bhiwani, Charkhi-Dadri, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Jind, Karnal, Nuh, Mehwat, Mahendergarh, Palwal, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak and Sonipat to keep strict vigil as the festive season is approaching.
Bursting of firecrackers in communities will be promoted in areas where there is no ban, it said, adding that designated areas will be pre-identified by the authorities concerned.
The chairperson of State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority also issued 10 different directions to implement and check of illegal selling of fire crackers including online sale.
Cities and towns in the state where the average of ambient air quality during November (as per available data of last year) is in “poor” and above categories will be under a vigil.
The cities and towns in which air quality is in the “moderate” or below categories, only green crackers shall be sold, said the order.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board will separately issue a list of these cities and towns and make it available on its website.
Only green crackers shall be allowed even for marriages and other occasions, the noted.
The sale of crackers shall only be through licensed traders and e-commerce portals, including Flipkart and Amazon, will not be permitted to sell crackers, it said.
The state pollution board shall carryout short-term monitoring in the cities for 14 days, commencing immediately, for the parameters namely aluminium, barium, iron apart from regulatory parameters against the short-term Ambient Air Quality Criteria Values (AAQCVs) proposed by the Central Pollution Control Board with regard to bursting of firecrackers.
“This will help in generation of data on pollution caused by the bursting of firecrackers and would be helpful for regulation and control of quality of aluminium, barium and iron used in the manufacture of firecrackers,” said the authority.
All deputy commissioners have been directed to constitute joint inspection teams for enforcing the directions and shall ensure extensive checking and action against violators who shall be punishable under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and other provisions of the law as applicable, it said.