In a letter addressing the ongoing firecracker ban in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai called on Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena to ensure strict enforcement to combat rising pollution levels in the national capital.
In his letter, Rai expressed concern that firecrackers continue to be openly sold across Delhi markets despite the ban, with suppliers allegedly bringing firecrackers through borders connecting Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. “It implies that Delhi Police, as law enforcement agencies, have not taken the directions to ban firecrackers seriously, and vendors are openly flouting the ban,” Rai’s letter noted.
The firecracker ban, covering production, storage, distribution, and usage, was initially announced on October 14 and is set to remain in effect until January 1. Rai warned that any firecracker use during Diwali could further worsen Delhi’s air quality and adversely affect residents’ health.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘Very Poor’ category on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 328 by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). SAFAR forecasts suggest that additional emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning could keep Delhi’s air quality in the ‘Very Poor’ category over the coming week.
Previously, LG Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Atishi, recommending the use of Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) to assist in pollution control efforts. Saxena raised concerns about the enforcement capacity of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), noting that limited resources hinder its effectiveness in implementing anti-pollution measures laid out by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and other state agencies.
