By Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday said anyone who violates the ban on firecrackers in the national capital will be penalised under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. Gopal Rai also said that If anyone in Delhi is caught bursting firecrackers between November 9 and November 30, they can be sentenced to 1.5-6 years in jail.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday imposed a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from the midnight of November 9 to the midnight of November 30.
The environment minister directed the Delhi Police and district magistrates (DM) to work together to enforce the ban on firecrackers and said if there’s a violation, then the Delhi Police will register FIR against violators under the Air Act.
Gopal Rai also said that around 150 tankers are sprinkling water on Delhi roads to combat dust pollution, adding that the number of tankers will be increased soon.
“I have directed the PWD [Public Works Department] to deploy water tankers through which sprinkling can be done on the key roads of Delhi and by this, immediate relief from the dust pollution can be achieved. Till now nearly 150 water tankers are working across Delhi,” Rai said.
He also told reporters that pollution situation might deteriorate till Diwali.
“In Delhi, the air is getting toxic because of the stubble burning in the neighbouring state. Winter is also here and I think till Diwali, the situation will be like this and might even deteriorate. The Delhi government is taking every possible step to combat air pollution by curbing the sources of pollution inside Delhi,” he said.
On Saturday, Delhi Government held a meeting with officials of the environment department and the revenue department along with the representatives of the Delhi Police, the DMs and divisional commissioners. Discussions were held on guideline regarding the ban on firecrackers.
After the meeting, Gopal Rai had said, “I want to request every citizen of Delhi to follow the ban on the firecrackers. Though I have directed the district administration, this is a matter of our own concern. Today [Monday], the NGT has also directed that no firecrackers will be allowed in Delhi and its adjacent areas. Earlier, the Delhi government allowed green crackers but looking into the situation of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases and the pollution the, Delhi government has decided to ban all kinds of firecrackers.”
