Diwali is just around the corner and we know what this festival does to the environment. The air quality signals red and visibility is almost zero the next day, thanks to a cracker-full Diwali. Hence the Supreme Court banned the sale of firecrackers in the National Capital Region in 2016. But it was soon temporarily suspended, advocating a “graded approach”. However, the government has now reinstated the ban.
With the hope of avoiding further deterioration of the quality of air, the government introduced ‘green crackers’ in Delhi as they emit 30% less air pollution. The apex court in the country sought to take this one step further.
Now, the Supreme Court has legalised only two types of firecrackers this Diwali. According to NDTV, the Supreme Court has declared the green version of “anar” and “phuljhari” as legal. Rockets, bombs and other noisy crackers are all banned. People are also advised to check the official stamp, carrying a QR code on the boxes of the crackers while making purchases.
“Only green crackers are allowed and we have constituted teams to check these sellers. If anyone is found selling any other type of crackers, legal action is being taken,” said MS Randhawa, the spokesperson for Delhi Police.
We all know about the current state of our environment today. It’s worse than what it was a decade ago and it’s deteriorating at an alarming rate. Hopefully this year, we will enjoy the essence of the festival of lights in it’s truest sense and have a quiet and environment-friendly Diwali.