Only green crackers allowed for 2 hours on Diwali, Gurpurb, Christmas, New Year

Chandigarh, October 27

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The government will allow use of green crackers only for a very short duration on Diwali, Gurpurb, Christmas and New Year.

The bursting of these green crackers has been allowed from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, from 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm on Gurpurb, from 11.55 pm till 12.30 am on Christmas eve and from 11.55 pm till 12.30 am on New Year Eve.

Timings

• Diwali: 8 pm to 10 pm
• Gurpurb: 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm
• Christmas eve: 11.55 pm till 12.30 am
• New Year Eve: 11.55 pm till 12.30 am

Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said in compliance of various directions of the Supreme Court, NGT, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, the state government was encouraging use of green crackers.

He said as the festive season was approaching, the Science, Technology and Environment Department would allow only green crackers which do not use barium salt or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic, lead or strontium chromate.

He said the manufacturing, stocking, distribution, sale and use of joined fire crackers has been banned in the state. He said it had also been directed that the sale would be through licensed traders for permitted crackers only. No e-commerce websites, including Flipkart, Amazon and others, shall accept any online orders within the state.