Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Nov 12: In compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, the Jharkhand government has issued directions that only green crackers could be sold and used for Diwali in Jamshedpur. The timings for the bursting of crackers is also restricted to two hours, 8 pm to 10 pm, on Diwali day. The measure is to minimize air pollution due to firecrackers that could aggravate the Covid-19 danger.
Those who would be found violating the directions against them action would be taken under section 188 of the IPC. On Thursday the directions in this regard was issued by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board. Secretary of the Pollution Control Board Rajeev Lochan Bakshi said that these guidelines have been issued in wake of the instructions given by the national green tribunal. As per the directions of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board the air quality in the districts of Ranchi, Ramgarh, East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur), Saraikela Kharsawan, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Godda, Pakur and Sahebganj especially in the urban areas in moderately polluted due to which here after 10 PM no bursting of firecrackers would be allowed. In these districts only green crackers have been permitted. On the other hand in the districts of Chatra, Garhwa, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, Koderma, Jamtara and Dumka the air quality in both urban and rural areas was good therefore in these districts all kinds of fire crackers will be bursted but here also the timings would be between 8 PM to 10 PM. On the occasion of Chhath the firecrackers would be allowed from 6 AM to 8 AM while on the new year people would be able to burst the fire crackers from 11.55 PM to 12.30 AM.
Unlike Jharkhand, some states and UT governments have taken a decision to put a ban on fireworks and its sale due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases and growing pollution in the air in some of the northern states ahead of Diwali.
On November 5, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced ban on firecrackers in the national capital amid rise in air pollution and surge in Covid-19 case.
The Calcutta High Court also ordered a ban on all varieties of crackers or fireworks for Kali Puja, Diwali, and Chhatpuja in West Bengal.
The Odisha government had also ordered a ban on the sale and use of firecrackers on November 3. The ban had been imposed across the state during the Diwali season to keep a check on the air pollution which can lead to serious problems for Covid-19 patients.
The Sikkim government has imposed a blanket ban on the sale and burning of firecrackers throughout the state till the further notice is discharged. The decision had been taken to limit the cases arising due to the Covid-19 pandemic and curb the air and noise pollution.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra government issued Diwali celebration guidelines for the citizens of the state. The Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra urged the people in the state to be responsible and not burst firecrackers during Diwali stating ecological concerns as it could lead to damaging the environment by adding to the air pollution and noise pollution and worsen the Covid-19 situation.
For now, the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has imposed a ban on the bursting of firecrackers at public places during Diwali looking at the rising Covid-19 cases in the city.