Kejriwal announces complete ban on usage and storage of firecrackers during Diwali

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that the ban on sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali would continue. Kejriwal tweeted, "In view of the dangerous condition of Delhi's pollution during Diwali for the last 3 years, like last year, a complete ban is being imposed on the storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers... so that people's lives can be saved." Last year also, there was an official ban on crackers in the capital, but COVID was cited as the main reason. On November 5, 2020, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the ban on the use of firecrackers in the national capital after reviewing the COVID-19 situation.

पिछले 3 साल से दीवाली के समय दिल्ली के प्रदूषण की खतरनाक स्तिथि को देखते हुए पिछले साल की तरह इस बार भी हर प्रकार के पटाखों के भंडारण, बिक्री एवं उपयोग पर पूर्ण प्रतिबंध लगाया जा रहा है। जिससे लोगों की जिंदगी बचाई जा सके।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 15, 2021

पिछले साल व्यापारियों द्वारा पटाखों के भंडारण के पश्चात प्रदूषण की गंभीरता को देखत हुए देर से पूर्ण प्रतिबंध लगाया गया जिससे व्यापारियों का नुकसान हुआ था। सभी व्यापारियों से अपील है कि इस बार पूर्ण प्रतिबंध को देखते हुए किसी भी तरह का भंडारण न करें।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 15, 2021

Kejriwal appealed to traders to not store firecrackers this year. He tweeted, "In view of the seriousness of pollution after the stocking of firecrackers by traders last year, a complete ban was imposed late, which caused losses to the traders. It is an appeal to all the traders that this time in view of the complete ban, do not do any kind of storage." Kejriwal noted that the ban was being announced in advance to “help prevent financial loss for traders”. Earlier this year, in July, the Supreme Court had dismissed the petition challenging the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order on the usage of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region. The NGT’s order had imposed a complete ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the COVID-19 pandemic in NCR and other cities in India with poor Air Quality Index (AQI) index.