The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday directed the CPCB and concerned States to ensure that there is no lapse in implementation of the National Green Tribunal’s directions in view of the prevailing air quality scenario.
The commission said State pollution control boards, committees and other field-level functionaries have also been asked to ensure that there is no lapse in implementation of the NGT’s directions.
“In pursuance of the NGT order dated November 9 and considering the concerns of air quality scenario in the NCR and its adverse health impact, the Commission directed CPCB, concerned state governments and authorities for strict compliance of the directions of NGT, with zero tolerance on violation,” it said.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had on Monday imposed a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight, saying “celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases”.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel had clarified that the direction will apply to all cities and towns in the country where the average of ambient air quality during November 2019 was in ‘poor’ and above categories.
“There will be total ban against sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the NCR from midnight of November 9-10, 2020, to the midnight of November 30-December 1, 2020, to be reviewed thereafter,” the NGT had said.
The cities/towns where air quality is ‘moderate’ or below, only green crackers be sold, and the timings for use and bursting of crackers be restricted to two hours during festivals like Diwali, Chhath, New Year/Christmas Eve etc, as may be specified by the State concerned.
“At other places, restrictions are optional for the authorities but if there are more stringent measures under orders of the authorities, the same will prevail,” it had said.
