NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed the Delhi Police to ensure that the Supreme Court order on the burning of crackers are adhered to on New Year’s Eve.
The apex court had, in October, enforced a partial ban on bursting firecrackers. It had only allowed selling and bursting of ‘green crackers’ — which have low emission and permissible sound limits — on festivals, across Delhi-NCR. However, it set a time limit of two hours for the bursting of crackers.
The order, however, was flouted with gay abandon on the festival of lights, as the city reported rampant bursting of toxic crackers. On November 9, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) sought an explanation from the police commissioner on violation of the apex court order.
In a notice issued earlier this week, CPCB chairperson SP Singh Parihar asked the police commissioner to ensure that the apex court order on the burning ‘green crackers’ for a stipulated period of two hours is complied with.
The pollution watchdog said that in response to its notice issued on November 9, the Delhi Police said no temporary licences were issued to cracker manufacturers and inspection of premises of all 18 licence holders was carried out and show-cause notices issued against two of them.
The Delhi police also informed the CPCB that as many as 613 people have been arrested for violating the apex court direction and 8,286 kg of crackers were seized.
A thick haze had engulfed Delhi on the morning after Diwali, as the city recorded its worst air quality of the year. The pollution level in the national capital hit the ‘severe-plus emergency’ category, which is 10 times the permissible limit.
The CPCB has also sought a report from the police on compliance with the top court order, by January 7.
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