Only green crackers will be allowed to be sold and used.
AMRITSAR: Amritsar Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate Mrs. Sakshi Sahni has issued guidelines for bursting firecrackers during festive days as per the orders issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Under this, temporary licenses to be issued in the district for the sale of firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali and Gurpurab and apart from this, time has also been fixed for bursting firecrackers on Diwali , Bhagwan Valmiki Pargat Diwas , Gurpurab , Christmas and New Year in the district as per the directions of the Hon'ble High Court.
The District Magistrate said that the sale of banned firecrackers is prohibited and only green firecrackers, which are made without lithium, mercury , arsenic , lead , barium salt, etc., can be sold and used.
She said that as per the exemption granted by the Honorable Supreme Court in Civil Writ Petition No. 728 of 2015 dated 13-10-2018 for bursting firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali , Gurupurab , Christmas and New Year, firecrackers should be burst within the specified time.
She said that on Diwali and Bhagwan Valmiki Pargat Diwas, firecrackers can be burst from 8 pm to 10 pm , on Gurpurab days from 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm. Similarly, on Christmas Eve, the time for bursting firecrackers has been fixed from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am the next morning and on New Year's Eve from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am the next morning . Any kind of firecrackers will be banned before and after this time and action will be taken against the violators.
She said that no website , e-commerce site, etc. will be able to sell firecrackers.
The District Magistrate further said that it will be mandatory for the marriage palace owner to take a license for bursting crackers etc. during wedding ceremonies and to ensure compliance with safety rules. Apart from this, it is also mandatory to take a license for bursting crackers during Shobha Yatra , Nagar Kirtan , Prabhat Pheri and other events. During this, bursting crackers will be completely prohibited in densely populated areas and areas prone to fire.
The District Magistrate said that she has issued instructions to the Municipal Commissioner , SSP , all SDMs , Executive Engineers of Punjab Pollution Control Board to take necessary action.
The Deputy Commissioner appealed to the people of the district that as per the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court, the general public should burst crackers only within the prescribed time.
.She said that while crackers have adverse effects on the environment, their noise and pollution have adverse effects on humans as well as animals and birds, for which the general public should refrain from bursting crackers as much as possible.