IEP Chandigarh, October 12
In the light of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal, the Department of Environment, Science and Technology has issued detailed instructions to district administration regarding the time limit for bursting firecrackers for strictly implementation.Giving details Environment, Science and Technology Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that Keeping in mind the sentiments of the people on the occasion of Diwali festival the state government has restricted the timings for busting crackers.He said that on the day of Diwali, on October 24, firecrackers will be allowed to be fired in the state for two hours from 8 pm to 10 pm. The manufacture, stock, distribute, sale and use of joined fire crackers (series crackers or laries) is hereby banned in whole of the State. Only the green crackers(those crackers that do not use barium salts or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury arsenic, strontium, chromate) would be allowed for sale and use in the State of Punjab. The sale shall only be through licensed traders and it shall be ensured that the licensed traders are selling the fire crackers, which are permitted.Meet Hayer further said that apart from Diwali, crackers will be permitted for one hour from 4 am to 5 am and one hour from 9 to 10 pm on November 8, the Prakash Purab day of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 35 minutes for Christmas from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am midnight on December 25-26 and 35 minutes from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am midnight on New Year’s Eve from 31 December-1 January have been allowed.
