-Crackers permitted only between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali: ADC
-On Gurpurab, crackers can be burst between 4 am and 5 am and 9 pm and 10 pm
-On Christmas and New Year’s Eve, crackers permitted only from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am the following morning
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General)-cum-Additional District Magistrate, Patiala, Anuprita Johal, has issued ex-parte orders regulating the bursting of crackers and the manufacture, storage, purchase and sale of fireworks in Patiala district. The orders aim to ensure compliance with the directions issued by the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Punjab, in accordance with the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The orders, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in the public interest, specify the permitted timings for bursting crackers during Diwali, Gurpurab, Christmas and New Year.
According to the orders, only green crackers are permitted in compliance with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Writ Petition No. 728 of 2015, Arjun Gopal versus Union of India and Others, dated October 23, 2018, the subsequent modified orders dated October 30, 2018, and October 31, 2018, as well as the National Green Tribunal’s order No. 249 of 2020 dated October 9, 2020.
The use of prohibited crackers has been banned. In view of the upcoming festive season, measures have also been taken to prevent the manufacture, storage, sale and use of illegal explosive materials brought from abroad. The relaxation granted for bursting green crackers during Diwali, Gurpurab, Christmas and New Year will be applicable only during the prescribed time slots.
As per the orders, crackers may be burst on Diwali, November 8, between 8 pm and 10 pm. On Gurpurab, November 24, the permitted timings are 4 am to 5 am and 9 pm to 10 pm. On Christmas Eve, December 24-25, crackers may be burst from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am the following morning. Similarly, on New Year’s Eve, December 31, the permitted time is from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am on January 1.
Bursting any type of crackers before or after the prescribed timings will be prohibited, and violations will invite appropriate legal action.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Anuprita Johal appealed to the residents of the district to comply with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court and burst crackers only during the stipulated hours.
She said that crackers adversely affect the environment, while the noise and pollution caused by them have harmful effects on humans as well as animals and birds. She urged the public to refrain from bursting crackers as far as possible.