Lok Sabha Question No. 3146 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Ban on Firecrackers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Locket Chatterjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 3146

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2021

## Ban on Firecrackers

## 3146. MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government proposes a completeban on firecrackers across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  evaluated  theadverse  effects  of  firecrackers  on  the environment; and
- (d)  if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) and (b) There  is  no  proposal  from  the  Government  regarding  complete  ban  on firecrackers across the country.

The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, vide Order dated 23.10.2018had banned the production and  sale  of  crackers  other  than  Reduced  Emission  firecrackers  (with  20-30%  reduction  in pollution).

The  Graded  Response  Action  Plan,  as  notified  by  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forests  & Climate Change vide S.O. 118 (E) dated January 12, 2017 has a provision to strictly enforce the  Supreme Court's  ban  on  firecrackers  when  Air  Quality  Index  (AQI)  is  in  Moderate  to poor  category  (ambient  PM2.5  or  PM10  concentration  value  is  between  61-120  μg/m3  or 101-350 μg/m3 respectively) in National Capital Region.

In addition, Hon'ble National Green Tribunal vide Orders dated 09.11.2020 and 01.12.2020 had directed the following:

1. 'There will be total ban against sale or use of all kinds of fire crackers in the NCR from midnight of November, 9 -10, 2020 to the midnight of November 30 - December 1, 2020, to be reviewed thereafter.' (also applicable to all cities/towns in the country where the average of ambient air quality during November (as per available data of last year) fall under 'poor' and above category.)
2. 'There will be total ban on sale and use of all kinds of fire crackers during Covid-19 pandemic in the NCR and all cities/towns in the country where the ambient air quality falls under the 'poor' and above category.'
3. 'During Christmas and New Year, green crackers can be used from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am only at places where air quality is 'moderate' or below as directed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court.'

(c)  and  (d)     Central  Pollution  Control  Board  carries  ambient  air  quality  monitoring  on selected pre-Deepawali days and on Deepawali days since past few years. Air quality (both manual and Real time) on Pre-Deepawali day (09.11.2020) and Deepawali day (14.11.2020) are monitored in the year 2020.

The  city  level  average  for  PM10  and  PM2.5  concentrations  on  Deepawali  day  (14.11.2020) were 645 μg/m 3 and 483 μg/m 3 respectively. City-wise increase/decrease in PM10 and PM2.5 on Diwali day is tabulated below:

| City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   | City-wise increase in PM 10 and PM 2.5 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period (in %)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                             | Agra                                                                                        | Delhi                                                                                       | Kolkata                                                                                     | Bengaluru                                                                                   | Bhopal                                                                                      | Lucknow                                                                                     | Vadodara                                                                                    | Shillong                                                                                    |
| PM10                                                                                        | -41.5                                                                                       | 67.1                                                                                        | 22.6                                                                                        | -24.8                                                                                       | 86.2                                                                                        | 114.0                                                                                       | -10.0                                                                                       | 53.7                                                                                        |
| PM2.5                                                                                       | -34.8                                                                                       | 82.9                                                                                        | 53.6                                                                                        | -41.4                                                                                       | 81.3                                                                                        | 67.6                                                                                        | 26.0                                                                                        | 30.5                                                                                        |

SO2 was found always within the prescribed 24 hourly NAAQS (80µg/m3) throughout the monitoring  period  including  Diwali  day.  Increase  in  SO2  concentration  on  Diwali  day  at cities  like  Delhi,  Lucknow,  Bhopal  and  Vadodara  are  evident  and  may  be  attributed  to oxidation  of  sulphur  due  to  bursting  of  cracker.  NO2  was  reported  within  prescribed  24 hourly NAAQS (80µg/m3) in all the cities except Delhi during Pre-Diwali, Diwali and post Diwali days. During Pre Diwali period and on Diwali day NO2 was found to above NAAQS in  Delhi.  Delhi,  Bhopal,  Lucknow and Bengaluru reported increase in NO2 on Diwali day compared to Pre-Diwali period.

*****