English
Chandigarh: Residents of Punjab will be allowed to burst crackers, that too only green ones, for just two hours on Diwali. The Punjab government on Wednesday issued guidelines for residents to follow on Diwali. Bursting of crackers, only green ones will be allowed from 8pm to 10 pm on Diwali. Government also banned the production, use and sale of any other crackers except green crackers.
“Firecrackers will be allowed to be fired in the state (on Diwali) for two hours from 8 pm to 10 pm. The manufacture, stock, distribution, sale and use of joined firecrackers is hereby banned in the whole of Punjab. Only the green crackers would be allowed for sale and use in the state,” Punjab environment minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said in a statement.
Hayer said the sale of firecrackers should only be done through licenced traders and it should be ensured that the traders are selling only those crackers which are permitted. The minister added that apart from Diwali, firecrackers will be permitted on Prakash Purab, Christmas and New Year’s eve.
“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,” the statement added.
The directions of the Punjab government came amid a worsening air quality in the border state caused by stubble-burning by farmers, besides vehicular, industrial and dust pollution, ahead of the winter season.
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