After Police Department’s blanket ban on use and sale of firecrackers in city, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has now instructed the local
administration to follow National
Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order to ban firecrackers during Diwali celebration. However, MPCB has allowed two-hour window to burst only green firecrackers this year as per the Tribunal’s order.
As per the Tribunal’s directive, only green crackers (without barium salt) will be allowed this Diwali. The order says that on Diwali (November 4), people can
burst green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm.
“District Administration has to ensure strict implementation of ban on firecrackers during Diwali. Nagpur comes under the non-attainment list of National
Clean Air Programme (NCAP) of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and under this category the city will be allowed to burst green crackers for two hours only,” Anand Katole, Sub-Regional Officer, MPCB said.
Green crackers are low-emission fireworks permitted by the Supreme Court for celebrations to a moderate degree during festivals, relaxing the complete ban on fireworks previously imposed in 2017. Green crackers, researched and developed by CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
