Delhi govt bans production and sale of firecrackers till January 1 to control air pollution

Delhi air pollution: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced on Monday that the AAP government has banned the production, sale and use of firecrackers in the national capital till January 1 next year to control air pollution in the coming winter season.

“The ban on the production, storage, sale and use of firecrackers will remain in force till January 1, 2025," Rai said in a statement. The Environment Minister said the ban also covers online sale/delivery of firecrackers.

He also said an action plan would be prepared in collaboration with the Delhi Police, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, and the Revenue Department to strictly implement the ban.

The ban is part of the Delhi government's winter action plan, which is based on 21 focus points to control air pollution.

All the departments concerned have been assigned different responsibilities on 21 focus points, according to which the winter action plan will be prepared.

Last week,Gopal Rai had saidthat the Environment Department will use drones to monitor air quality at pollution hotspots as part of a 21-point plan to curb air pollution during the winter session.

“In a first in Delhi, the Environment Department will use drones for real-time air quality monitoring at pollution hotspots as a part of the 21-point Winter Action Plan to curb air pollution in cold months, announced Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday,” said a statement from the Office of the Environment Minister, Delhi Govt.

Rai had also said that the government has intensified its preparations to deal with the problem of pollution in the winter season.

“The number of good, satisfactory, and moderate category days increased from 110 in 2016 to 206 in 2023,” he had said.

Recently, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav took stock of the implementation of National, State and City clean air action plans implemented in 24 states and Union Territories and 131 cities in the fourth meet of Apex Committee of National Clean Air Programme.