Punjab govt allows only green firecrackers on Diwali, Gurupurab for 2 hours

Amritsar: The Punjab government on Tuesday announced a two-hour window for bursting green firecrackers on Diwali across the state. The department of science, technology environment issued an order related to the regulation of the sale and use of firecrackers in Punjab, which included a blanket ban on manufacturing, distribution, sale and use of joined firecrackers, also known as laries. 

The sale and use of any kind of firecrackers will remain banned in Mandi Gobindgarh and Jalandhar districts of Punjab from the intervening night of October 28-29 to the midnight of December 31, 2021-January 1, 2022 as per the National Green Tribunal's order in view of poor air quality index in November 2020.

The state government has allowed the use of green crackers in other parts of Punjab for a very short period during festivals like Diwali, Gurupurab, Christmas and New Year Eve.

The government said the concerned authorities should identify and designate areas for community fire cracking and publicise the information. It has also ordered e-commerce websites including Amazon and Flipkart to not accept any orders and affect online sales of firecrackers within Punjab.

"The police authorities shall ensure that the sale and use of allowed green firecrackers only take place during the permitted time and at designated places," the order read.