Govt Designates 824 Open Spaces For Green Crackers On Diwali, Fine Of Rs 1 Lakh For Violation
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Stringent reforms in place for an eco-friendly Diwali in the Capital.
The Delhi government is using Diwali as twin-edge sword to fight pollution and corona this year by allowing the bursting of only green firecrackers. The government has allotted 824 open spaces in the city for burning these crackers, and any violation can lead to a penalty of Rs 1 lakh. The government also launched its anti-cracker campaign from November 3, wherein it has employed 11 teams of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) that will monitor the sale of crackers, urge people to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali, and also oversee the implementation of its rules.
Delhi Minister Gopal Rai inspects cracker shops in Nai Sarak.
— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2020
He says, "11 teams of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) are visiting cracker shops in Delhi as part of the anti-crackers drive. As per Supreme Court's order, only sale of green crackers is allowed." pic.twitter.com/kAP1FOm8JS
Meanwhile, there is a surge of applications for shops selling firecrackers this year. Last year, the Delhi Police had received only 97 such applications while the number has already crossed 260 this year, out of which 138 licenses have already been approved. CM Arvind Kejriwal also launched the 'Green Delhi' app recently that allows citizens to directly file complaints related to pollution norms, along with audio-video proof. All departments of the Delhi administration are directly connected to the app.
The time window allowed for burning crackers has also been restricted to two hours, between 8 pm and 10 pm. Some of the prominent areas where green crackers are allowed include Buddha Park in Mayur Vihar, a park in B block of Chanakyapuri, Ramleela Ground in Laxmibai Nagar, Ajmal Khan Park in Karol Bagh, Sudarshan Park in Moti Nagar, West Mehram Nagar Park in Delhi Cantonment, CBD ground opposite Hotel Leela and Gandhi Park in Saket.
With Inputs From Hindustan Times & DNA.
