Nagpur Diwali: only green crackers allowed, string crackers banned, 15 sites off limits

Nagpur will see a stricter Diwali this year. The city police have limited firecracker sales to green crackers, the less polluting kind, and have prohibited string crackers, commonly called ladi, for both sale and use. The aim is to hold down noise and air pollution during the festival. The curbs follow directions from the National Green Tribunal and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Pakhale has submitted a detailed compliance affidavit to the Bombay High Court on behalf of the city police. The document lays out how the rules are being enforced and what has been done against those who break them.

The affidavit comes after a hearing in which the court voiced serious worry about three things: loud crackers being burst on public roads, vehicles running modified silencers that produce harsh noise, and the steady rise in noise and air pollution across the city. Since the court's strong remarks, police have stepped up action against offenders.

On the ground, the administration will not grant temporary selling licences at 15 busy roads and sensitive spots, which have in effect become no-cracker zones. Several are old market areas and junctions: Burdi Main Road, Hansapuri, Maskasath, Marwari Chowk, Badkas Chowk, Shaheed Chowk and the Gokulpeth market. Others are stretches of road, namely Mahal to Gandhi Gate Chowk, Indora to Kamal Talkies Chowk, Golibar Chowk to Timki Teen Nal Chowk and Sadar Residency Road. The remaining sites are Bhosle Wada and the area around the Kalyaneshwar temple, along with the grounds of Mayo Hospital, Daga Hospital and the Medical College. No firecracker shop will come up at any of these 15 locations.

Enforcement has already begun. Police have booked 10 firecracker sellers for breaching the conditions of their licences, and cases against all of them have been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Police say they have not relied on punishment alone. They have so far held 363 awareness campaigns in schools and colleges, telling children, students and young people how firecrackers harm health and the environment, and why the environment needs protecting.

Police have informed the High Court that monitoring and action will carry on through the Diwali season, so that the prescribed rules are followed and pollution stays under control.