Diwali 2020: Firecrackers Banned In Various Parts Of Country This Year; Check Do's & Don'ts For Your State

While some states have banned the firecrackers totally, some have imposed a partial ban and have given a time slot of a few hours to burst crackers.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Diwali, one of the most popularly celebrated festivals in India is just around the corner. The festival of lights, which is celebrated as the victory of light over darkness, is not expected to be grand and exquisite this year due to the ongoing pandemic of Coronavirus disease and with a cherry of firecrackers ban on the top due to the  deteriorating air quality index in various cities. With the increase in air pollution and fear of a spike in coronavirus crisis in the country during the winter season, several states and Union Territories have banned selling, distribution, and busting of firecrackers. While some states have banned the firecrackers totally, some have imposed a partial ban and have given a time slot of a few hours to burst crackers. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on November 9, imposed a total ban on the sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight, saying "celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases". Here's the list of the state that have partially or totally banned firecrackers during festivities: Delhi The Delhi government has imposed a blanket ban on firecrackers, including those green crackers too between November 7 and 30. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that if anyone violates the ban on firecrackers during Diwali, then the violator shall be penalized under the Air Act. Karnataka After announcing a ban on the sale and use of firecrackers, the Karnataka government backtracked and said that people are allowed to sell and use green firecrackers during Diwali. West Bengal The Calcutta High Court had banned the use and sale of firecrackers on Kali Puja, Chhath, and Kartik Puja to curb pollution amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The same guidelines will be followed for Diwali. Maharashtra The Maharashtra government issued Diwali celebration guidelines on November 6 for the citizens. CM Uddhav Thackeray requested people to celebrate Diwali with 'simplicity', by lighting Diyas and staying at home and urged people to not burst crackers. Mumbai's civic body, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) imposed a ban on the bursting of firecrackers at public places during Diwali in view of rising COVID-19 cases in the city. Odisha The Odisha government has banned the sale and use of firecrackers across the state during the festive season to check air pollution, which can aggravate the health conditions of COVID-19 patients. The period of the ban is from November 10 to 30, according to a government order. Haryana The Manohar Lal Khattar and Dushyant Chautala led government in Haryana allowed bursting firecrackers for two hours on Diwali between 8 PM-10 PM. This decision has been taken in view of the rising levels of pollution while adhering to the guidelines issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to decrease air pollution. Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan announced the ban on the sale and burning of firecrackers ahead of all states. "State govt has taken the decision to ban the sale and bursting of firecrackers to protect the health of Covid-19 infected patients & public from poisonous smoke emanating due to fireworks. In this challenging corona pandemic time, protecting the lives of people is paramount for govt," Gehlot tweeted. Sikkim The Sikkim government has imposed a complete ban on firecrackers throughout the state until further notice. Punjab Unlike the neighboring states Haryana, Punjab has allowed the citizens of the state to burst crackers in a given time slot of two hours. The state government has told NGT that a ban on firecrackers is not required for the state and on Diwali bursting of crackers is allowed only between 8 pm to 10 pm. Chandigarh The Union Territory of Chandigarh which also serves as the capital for Punjab as well as Haryana, has also issued a ban on selling and bursting of firecrackers of all types with immediate effect. Uttar Pradesh The UP government imposed a blanket ban on the use and sale of firecrackers, which came late on November 10 as compared to other states. According to the state government administration, the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers have been banned in NCR region, Muzaffarnagar, Agra, Varanasi, Meerut, Hapur, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Bulandshahr. The blanket ban will be effective from midnight of November 10 to midnight on December 1.