NGT seeks Chandigarh reply on banning crackers

Chandigarh, November 5

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the UT Administration on prohibiting the use of firecrackers.

The NGT wants a response from the Administration on whether the use of firecrackers be banned from November 7 to 30. The notice was issued to the UT as the city is included in the list of 122 non-attainment cities where the air quality is poorer than the permissible limits.

The green panel stated that the state governments of Odisha and Rajasthan had already issued a notification prohibiting the sale and use of firecrackers in the wake of unsatisfactory air quality.

UT Adviser Manoj Parida said UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore would take a final decision on imposing a ban on firecrackers in a meeting tomorrow.

Ajay Jagga, a member of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti, requested the UT Administrator to prohibit the bursting of firecrackers in view of Covid-19 patients.

He said health experts warned that air pollutants from bursting crackers would aggravate allergies and increase the risk of coronavirus transmission.

“The experts have clarified that firecrackers release a large amount of air pollutants and these are bound to affect the lungs. It is certain that we can expect a spike in Covid-19 cases and an increase in mortality during and after Diwali,” he said. — TNS