20 shops at Burlton Park, none selling green crackers

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 25

Like many other parts of the country, the much-hyped green crackers have completely eluded the district populace this Diwali. None of the shops set up at Burlton Park to sell crackers are selling green crackers in the city.

While the shops allowed to put up stalls at Burlton Park have been restricted to 20 this year, all of them are selling only conventional firecrackers. Meanwhile, the administration said the police had been deputed across the city to ensure compliance with Supreme Court’s guidelines of bursting of crackers only from 8 pm to 10 pm.

Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said: “The green crackers haven’t arrived in the market. The population can only use them if they are being sold. As far as the implementation of Supreme Court direction of bursting crackers only from 8 pm to 10 pm is concerned, the Commissioner of Police has been very proactive and police personnel have been deputed across the city to ensure compliance.”

Mayor Jagdish Raja, who has been on leave due to a family function, said: “We haven’t received any notification or guidelines in this regard. Clearance to only 20 manufacturers has been given by the MC this year. The clearance was issued as per a draw, based on which some shops have been allowed to sell crackers for which space has been provided at the Burlton Park.”

Rishabh Mahajan, member of the Wholesale Fireworks Association, Jalandhar, said: “No green crackers have been received in this area. In Jalandhar, no shop for green crackers has been set up. Nor have any of the consumers asked for them so far. Slowly and slowly every year, conventional cracker shops are also being edged out. Only the wholesalers have survived. The business is so dull that many haven’t even put up shop this year. Since no retailers are allowed anywhere in the city, we have not sold crackers to other shops either.”

“We are planning to talk to the district administration about the continuously deteriorating situation. If it goes on like this, we won’t be able to set up shop next year,” Mahajan added.

Meanwhile, to monitor the pollution levels on Diwali this year, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) will set up monitoring points at three places in the city -one in a residential zone, another in the silence (or sensitive zone) and a third in a commercial area.

Senior Environmental Engineer of the PPCB Harbir Singh said: “To bring down emissions, directions have been issued for the sale of green crackers. However, we are not the implementing agency for the same. We shall be monitoring the level of pollutants on Diwali, regarding which the readings shall be made public.”

In compliance with Supreme Court guidelines, Assistant Environment Engineers have also been deputed at Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nakodar/ Shahkot and Phillaur /Goraya to make sure that residents burn crackers during the allowed time slot.

Under its order passed on October 23, the Supreme Court has allowed bursting of firecrackers between fixed time slots, from 8 pm to 10 pm for Diwali and between 11.55 pm and 12.30am on other occasions such as Christmas and New Year.