The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is likely to impose a ban on bursting of firecrackers and also its sales in the city after National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) fresh order wherein firecrackers will not be allowed in areas where the air quality is poor. The civic body will issue guidelines regarding bursting firecrackers soon.
Civic chief Abhijit Bangar said that they have not issued any specific guidelines regarding the sale and use of firecrackers. “We had decided to follow the state government decision,” said Bangar, however, he added that after NGT’s order, we could ban. “We have not yet received a copy of the decision. We will take a call after going through the order,” said Bangar.
As per the NGT’s decision, there is a blanket ban on the sale and use of firecrackers in areas where the air quality is poor. Bangar says that if this is the decision, we will have to ban firecrackers. “It is not possible to ban firecrackers in one area not allow in other as the pollution will spread across the city even a firecracker is burst in any part of the city,” said Bangar.
Maharashtra government on Saturday had already issued guidelines for the citizens for celebrating Diwali. The state government has not imposed a blanket ban but appealed to people for cooperation in limiting cracker-bursting for ecological concerns including air pollution and noise pollution.
The NGT’s order has come in the backdrop of the COVID pandemic as air pollution could aggravate the condition. Maharashtra is the worst-affected state due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Mumbai is the worst-affected city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has already imposed a ban on the bursting of firecrackers at public places in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the number of cases of COVID 19 is declining, the civic administration has warned that any laxity during the festival may be costlier as the second wave of COVID if it comes, it will be more severe. “COVID 19 cases have come down, it has not over. People should not step of their homes unless very important,” said Bangar.
The publishers permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)