UP govt bans sale and use of firecrackers in NCR, cities where air quality is `poor`

The UP Home Department stated that the use of green firecrackers will be allowed in areas where air quality will be `moderate` or better.

New Delhi: The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Friday (October 29, 2021) banned the sale and use of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other areas where the air quality is in the 'poor' category. In an order issued by the UP Home Department, it was stated that the use of green firecrackers will be allowed in areas where air quality will be 'moderate' or better. 

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avnish Kumar Awasthi informed that detailed guidelines regarding the sale and use of firecrackers have been issued to all the district and police administration officers of the state. 

"Restrict use of firecrackers in cities where air quality is 'moderate' or below to green crackers only for not more than two hours. During Christmas and New Year, green crackers can be used between 11:55 pm - 12:30 am only where air quality is 'moderate' or lower," the order read. 

It is noteworthy that the air quality is in the 'moderate' category in Noida and Ghaziabad. Hapur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Sonbhadra, Varanasi, Firozabad, Jhansi, Khurja, Prayagraj, Meerut, Moradabad, Bareilly, Rae Bareli, Mathura, Saharanpur, Gorakhpur, Unnao, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Ayodhya are the other cities with 'moderate' air quality.

Celebration can't be at cost of others' health

Supreme Court on Friday said that celebration cannot be at the cost of others' health and clarified that while there is no total ban on use of firecrackers, those fireworks which contain Barium salts are prohibited. Warning that top officials at various levels "shall be held personally liable" for any lapses, the top court stated that it is unfortunate that despite various directions issued by it, there is a blatant violation going on.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna said that no authority can be permitted to violate the directions issued by it and allow banned firecrackers in the guise of celebration.

"Everybody including the implementing agencies are bound to see that the directions issued by the courts are implemented and followed in true spirit and in toto," the apex court said.

(With agency inputs)