Delhi govt orders complete ban on firecrackers until January 1 as air quality dips

Web Staff

22 hours ago

The Delhi government on Monday ordered a complete ban on firecrackers until January 1, 2025. The announcement from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee came after the capital was caught in the grip of increasing pollution levels.

On Sunday, a day after the Dusshera celebrations, the air quality in the capital slipped from the ‘moderate’ to the ‘poor’ category. It remained in the ‘poor’ category as of Monday noon, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 228, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)’s order banned the manufacturing, storage, selling, including delivery through online platforms, and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Territory of Delhi until January 1, 2025.

The DPCC letter, addressed to the commissioner of police, directed the Delhi Police to implement the directions to ensure a complete ban on firecrackers. As per the directions, daily action-taken reports are to be submitted to the DPCC.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai urged citizens to cooperate and wrote on X, “In view of the increasing pollution in winter, a ban has been imposed on the production, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers from today until January 1. The Delhi government issued instructions regarding the ban. I request cooperation from all Delhiites.”

On September 25, the minister said the ban on firecrackers would be enforced once a notification was issued. The ban is part of the Delhi government’s 21-point Winter Action Plan.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) assessed the air quality on Sunday and said it would closely monitor the scenario for a day or more before invoking Stage-1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of emergency response measures to curb air pollution in NCR and nearby areas.