NEW DELHI: Delhi residents will be allowed to burst certified green firecrackers only on November 7 and 8, between 6am and 7am and 8pm and 10pm, as the city prepares for Diwali amid worsening air quality and a thick layer of smog.The Delhi government has appealed to residents to follow the Supreme Court’s directions on the sale and use of green firecrackers across Delhi-NCR.The district magistrate (East), in an order, said bursting firecrackers outside the prescribed hours would be strictly prohibited, news agency PTI reported.Only green firecrackers certified by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) will be permitted for sale.The firecracker boxes must be properly sealed and carry valid product- and batch-specific QR codes, the order said.Sales will be allowed only at locations designated by Delhi Police. Sale from unauthorised locations and online platforms has been prohibited.The administration has also directed joint enforcement teams comprising district officials and Delhi Police personnel to conduct regular inspections and prevent the sale and use of prohibited firecrackers, PTI reported.The order also prohibits bursting firecrackers within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and other notified silence zones.Violations may lead to confiscation and penal action under applicable laws and Supreme Court directions.The restrictions come as Delhi’s air quality deteriorates ahead of Diwali.A thick layer of smog engulfed the capital on Friday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 391 at 9am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category and close to the ‘severe’ threshold, PTI reported.Of the 59 monitoring stations across the city, 30 recorded ‘severe’ air quality, while the remaining stations were in the ‘very poor’ category. Rohini recorded the highest AQI at 475, followed by IIT Delhi at 472.According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, Delhi is likely to record its first ‘severe’ air quality day of the season on Friday, with the situation expected to persist until November 8.Firecracker emissions during the festival could add to the existing pollution load, particularly as the period coincides with the peak stubble-burning season in the National Capital Region.The AQI rose from 389 at 8am to 391 at 9am on Friday. The Central Pollution Control Board classifies an AQI of 301-400 as ‘very poor’ and 401-500 as ‘severe’.The Supreme Court on November 2 permitted the manufacture, sale and bursting of approved green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR around Diwali, subject to specified timings.The court also directed that the complete ban on firecrackers be restored from November 9, PTI reported.Separately, the Supreme Court on Friday said vehicular emissions were a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi-NCR and stressed the need for immediate, medium- and long-term measures to bring down pollution levels.The court is scheduled to take up the case again on November 16, after the Diwali vacation.(With agency inputs)
