Jharkhand residents get 2 hours for crackers on Diwali

RANCHI: Jharkhand residents can burst crackers for only two hours on Diwali night, the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) said on Saturday, a day after the state announced to relax a host of Covid-19 curbs to allow people to shop and celebrate the upcoming festivities.
A formal order issued by the board said during Diwali and Guruparab, fireworks will be permitted only between 8pm and 10pm. For Chhath, revellers can burst crackers from 6am to 8am, whereas on Christmas and New Year, people can do so only between 11.55pm and 12.30pm, reads the order, issued by the board’s member secretary, Y K Das.
An official of the board said, “We have adopted the similar model that was enforced last year.” He said the rule will apply to all districts where pollution levels were found to be within satisfactory limits.
“Last year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled that crackers can be burst only in those places where air and sound pollution levels are found to be within the prescribed limit. In Jharkhand, pollution levels at almost all places are within the range so far. Hence, crackers have been allowed, but only for the two-hour window,” he added.
The pollution board has also banned the sale of crackers that have a sound limit of over 125 decibels. “Sale and bursting of crackers with noise level only up to 125db will be permitted. It is up to the district administration concerned to ensure that crackers beyond those limits aren’t sold,” another official said.
The sale of crackers has already started in the capital city early this week. The district administration has earmarked a handful of places, namely Morhabadi, Harmu, Bariatu and Jaipal Singh Stadium, for retail sales of the crackers.