Bhubaneswar: Use of Firecrackers during festival seasons particularly during the Diwali has serious environmental and health impact. On October 23, the Supreme Court in its judgment pronounced in Arjun Gopal and others Vs Union of India and others has issued directions related to manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers particularly during the festive occasions.
Accordingly Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Rajendra Prasad Sharma on Friday issued instructions to all District SP and DCPs to implement the order of the Supreme Court in letter and spirit.
- Timing of fireworks: Firecrackers should be allowed on Diwali days or any other festival from 8 PM to 10 PM only and on Christmas and New Year eve. Firecrackers should be allowed from 11.55 PM till 12.30 AM only.
- It shall be the duty of the IIC/OIC to ensure that fireworks take place only during the designated time and at designated places. They shall also ensure that there is no sale of banned firecrackers. In case any violation is found, the IIC/OIC of the concerned Police Station of the area shall be held personally liable for such violation and this would amount to contempt of the Court, for which IIC/OIC would be proceeded against.
- The stocks of licensed traders may be verified if they are selling the crackers as mandated by the Supreme Court. It is to be noted that the only the crackers with reduced emissions (Improved crackers) and green crackers are allowed for manufacture, sale and use as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
- The sale shall only be through licensed traders. A list of licensed dealers/traders may be prepared PS wise and kept in the DIB. They must be made aware about the ban by the Supreme Court on the firecrackers of specific categories and permit them to sale only the firecrackers as allowed.
- Manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) is to be stopped.
- It should be ensured that e-commerce websites, including Flipkart, Amazon etc. do not deliver online sales of fire crackers.
- All IICs/OICs are instructed to ensure that fireworks are not used in the silence zones that is near hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health-care centres, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area that may be declared as a silence zone.
- You are instructed to hold extensive public awareness campaigns in School /Colleges and localities by utilizing print, electronic and social media and informing people about the harmful effects of firecrackers.
- You are further instructed to explore the feasibility of community fire cracking where a particular area/field may be identified for use of firecrackers during festive occasions by taking into confidence the local people.
