The order also barred e-commerce websites from accepting any online orders and affecting online sales within the state of Punjab.
Published Oct 27, 2023 | 7:34 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2023 | 7:34 PM
Punjab mandates usage of green firecrackers.
In a bid to keep the upcoming festival season pollution-free, the Punjab government mandated the use of green firecrackers on Diwali, Gurpurab, Christmas and New Year, only during an allotted time.
The time slot approved for Diwali will be from 8.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Gurpurab from 4.00 am to 05.00 am and from 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am.
State Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer while banning the usage of normal firecrackers cited various directions by the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal (NGT), Punjab & Haryana High Court and Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
“As the festive season of Diwali, Gurupurab, Christmas and New Year’s Eve is approaching, the Science, Technology and Environment Department has allowed the usage of only green firecrackers, which do not use barium salt or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic, lead or strontium chromate,” said Hayer.
He said that the manufacturing, stocking, distribution, sale and usage of joined firecrackers (series firecrackers) was banned in the state.
The ban has led to skyrocketing prices of these firecrackers in the black market even though the government order clearly stated that the sale of permitted firecrackers would be allowed in the state only through licensed traders.
The order also barred e-commerce websites including Flipkart, Amazon and others from accepting any online orders and affecting online sales within the state of Punjab.
“Punjab Pollution Control Board has been directed to carry out short-term monitoring in the selected cities of the state. Police authorities shall ensure the sale and use of allowed green firecrackers during the permitted time and at designated places adding that any violation of the directions will invite immediate penal action,” said Hayer.
“We appeal to the general public to encourage community fire cracking at pre-identified areas/fields designated by the concerned authorities,” he added.
However, this move rattled the firecracker manufacturing industry which claimed that the ban proved to be a failure last year.
The manufacturer association claimed that customers were not opting for green firecrackers as they were not readily available and were expensive.
They said that due to these reasons, the customers preferred banned firecrackers smuggled from other states.
“We had invested in green firecrackers especially in cities like Mohali last year but it was a damp show. The orders came too late and the majority of us had already stocked up on regular firecrackers. We have no buyers for green firecrackers”, said the association.
There are also reports that normal firecrackers were being packaged as green firecrackers for sale.
