Bursting Or Selling Firecrackers Could Attract Fine Of Up To ₹1 lakh: Delhi Govt

Mumbai: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai today said bursting or selling firecrackers this season can attract a fine of up to ₹1 lakh in the national capital, Hindustan Times reported.

This comes a day after CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a complete ban on the sale and use of firecrackers, including green crackers. A detailed action plan will be created to implement the ban.

Hindustan Times quoted Rai saying, “Prosecutions will be made under the Air Act, which has a provision to slap fines going as high as Rs1 lakh.”

Rai said he would convene a meeting with representatives of the Environment Department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Delhi Police on Monday to prepare a detailed action plan to implement the ban.

Also Read: Odisha Govt Bans Firecrackers From Nov 10 to 30 For Safety Of COVID-19 Patients

“The sources of pollution in Delhi remain constant throughout the year, while bursting of firecrackers before Diwali and stings burning in neighboring states increase Delhi’s pollution levels. Given the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the city, improving life is more important than the economic aspect of the damage suffered by firecrackers,” Rai told HT.

Rai also announced the establishment of a 15-member impact assessment panel to monitor spraying and record the effectiveness of the ‘Pusa Bio-decomposer’, which promises to turn farm stub into compost. It has been promoted as a mass burning solution in the agrarian states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which adds to the dishonesty in Delhi every winter.

Rai said that the panel will consist of MLAs, district level officials and scientists from the Indian Agriculture and Research Institute.

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