In view of Covid-19, the Chhattisgarh government on Monday issued fixed two hours for bursting firecrackers on the occasion of Deepawali, Chhath, Guruparva, Christmas and New Year.
As per the order, the duration for bursting firecrackers on Deepavali and Guruparav is from 8 pm to 10 pm, on Chhath Puja from 6 am to 8 am and on New Year and Christmas from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am. As per the directive issued by the Supreme Court, only improvised and green firecrackers which produce less pollution can be sold by licensed traders. Only those firecrackers can be sold whose sound level is within the prescribed range.
The sale, use and manufacture of series crackers is prohibited and directives have been given to cancel licenses of manufacturers of firecrackers which use lithium, arsenic, antimony, lead and mercury.
Besides, sale of firecrackers from online platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon will be banned, the order said.
The Chhattisgarh Environmental Conservation Board has directed all seven regional offices to conduct regular monitoring of ambient air quality in Raipur, Durg-Bhilai, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Ambikapur and Jagdalpur.
