The Government of Punjab on October 11, 2024, issued an order for sale and use of fire crackers in the State of Punjab.
The order dated October 23, 2018, and October 31, 2018, passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 728 of 2015, the order dated November 09, 2020, passed by the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal in O.A No. 249 of 2020 and other connected matters, hereby prohibit, restrict and regulate the sale and use of fire crackers in the State of Punjab by issuing the following directions:
• The manufacture, stock, distribution, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laries) is hereby banned in the whole of the State.
• Only the green crackers (those crackers that do not use barium salt or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic, lead or strontium chromate) would be allowed for sale and use in the State of Punjab.
• The sale shall be through licensed traders for the permitted firecrackers only.
• No licensee shall store, display or sell any firecrackers whose decibel levels are not within the permitted limits.
• No e-commerce websites including Flipkart, Amazon, etc. shall accept any online orders and affect online sales within the State of Punjab.
• An extensive public awareness campaign shall be undertaken by the Deputy Commissioners to inform the public about the harmful effects of firecrackers.
• The police authorities shall ensure that the sale and use of allowed green firecrackers only take place during the permitted time and at designated places.
Any violation of the directions aforementioned will invite immediate penal action under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 besides legal action under Section 223 of the BNS and other provisions as applicable.
[Notification No. 10/587/2024-STE2/691]
