Shimla DC fixes two-hour window to burst crackers

Shimla Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap on Saturday said people will be allowed to burst firecrackers on Diwali from 8 pm to 10 pm.

He said the people would only be allowed to use green firecrackers to celebrate the festival.

As per the order, people will be able to use firecrackers for two hours on Gurpurb i.e. from 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm. Similarly, the DC has alloted a time period of 35 minutes each for Christmas and New Year’s eve, which is from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am.

He said only green firecrackers should be sold where the air quality is moderate or of good quality and the time period for bursting crackers during Diwali, Chhath Pooja, Christmas and the New Year will only be between two hours. “These directions are based on the 2019 Supreme Court order,” he added.

The DC said violations would invite punitive action under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, along with Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, and other legal provisions. He has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police and all Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) to ensure the complaince of these directives.