Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, 15 September, announced that a complete ban is being imposed on the storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers this year, similar to 2020. He took to Twitter to announce that the ban on sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali would continue.
Kejriwal tweeted, “In view of the dangerous condition of Delhi’s pollution during Diwali for the last 3 years, like last year, a complete ban is being imposed on the storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers… so that people’s lives can be saved. It is an appeal to all the traders that this time in view of the complete ban, do not do any kind of storage.” Kejriwal noted that the ban was being announced in advance to “help prevent financial loss for traders”. The development comes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday sought an appointment with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to discuss measures to be taken to reduce pollution in the national capital. The secretary to the Delhi environment minister wrote a letter to the Union minister’s private secretary in this regard. Diwali will be celebrated in the first week of November this year. Air pollution had risen in the winter months in Delhi in recent years on account of excessive use of firecrackers and burning of stubble by farmers in neighbouring states. Currently, the air quality is under the satisfactory category by the India National Air Quality Index (AQI) due to recent heavy rainfall.
