Experts explain why Delhi cracker ban went up in smoke

Gaps in enforcement, limited monitoring, and easy access to firecrackers from the NCR region where restrictions were slack were largely responsible for the widespread flouting of the cracker ban in Delhi on Diwali, experts have opined.

Although the Delhi government had set up 377 enforcement teams and spread awareness through local associations to ensure compliance with the firecracker ban, neighbourhoods across the eastern and western parts of the city reported large-scale flouting of the restrictions.

Experts highlighted that unchecked sales and an influx of firecrackers from neighbouring regions combined with weak on-ground presence of authorities contributed to the mass violations that left the city shrouded in smog on Thursday.

A senior Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) official said they conducted several awareness campaigns against bursting crackers but enforcing the ban was the Delhi Police's responsibility.

However, a senior police official denied the 'failure of administration' charge, while asserting that legal actions were taken against people found flouting the ban.

The city's air quality dropped to the 'very poor' category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 330 at 10 pm on Diwali. Key areas, including Anand Vihar, saw the AQI plunge into the 'severe' category while PM2.5 concentrations soared, creating hazardous conditions for respiratory health.

Many authorities lacked real-time monitoring tools to control the distribution and usage of firecrackers within city limits, making it challenging to uphold the ban effectively, environment experts said.

Rajiv Kakria, the convener of Save Our City (SOC), a South Delhi-based collective of resident welfare associations (RWAs), NGOs and activists said the firecracker ban in Delhi was not enforced effectively.

"The porous Delhi-NCR borders make it easy for people to buy firecrackers without any difficulty. It's challenging to impose this ban because while firecrackers are banned in Delhi, those can be easily obtained from neighbouring areas.

"There wasn't adequate checking at the borders and police patrolling was also limited during Diwali," he said.

He added the ineffective enforcement of the ban reflects an institutional failure and also pointed out that 'during the COVID-19 pandemic, orders were followed more effectively by both authorities and the public because it was imposed properly'.

Atul Goyal, president of United RWAs Joint Action (URJA), an umbrella body of 2500 RWAs across Delhi, also blamed the slack in strict enforcement of the ban for the widespread bursting of crackers.

"Firecrackers were being sold on the streets in many localities. It's difficult for the police to nab every seller. People had easy access to firecrackers," he said and emphasised the need for a more coordinated regional strategy to ensure compliance across borders.

A senior DPCC official said, "We conducted extensive campaigns and requested people not to burst firecrackers. However, enforcing the ban was under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police."

This year, the pollution levels on Diwali were not as high as anticipated. However, it is expected to reach the severe category by November 3, an official from Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, added.

"We expected air quality to fall into the severe category and two factors helped prevent this," said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet.

"Since last night, wind began flowing from the northwest at a good speed, which dispersed pollutants. Additionally, the temperature did not drop during Diwali, which often leads to smog formation," he said.

Currently, winds are blowing at speeds of 10 kmph to 15 kmph and are expected to remain so for the next two days, Palawat said, adding the wind direction will shift southeast around November 2 and pollution levels could rise, potentially pushing the air quality into the severe category by November 3.

According to a senior Delhi Police officer, legal actions were taken against the people caught bursting crackers on Diwali night in many parts of the city.

They were booked under section 223 of the BNSS, which is implemented for violation of prohibitory orders. The crackers were also seized from them, the officer said.

"We cannot say it was a failure of administration as we managed to restrict the people from bursting crackers in Delhi. Many people managed to bring crackers from neighbouring states despite checking on borders," he said.

The DPCC directions implemented on October 14, state, "There will be a complete ban on all kinds of firecrackers, on manufacturing, storage, selling (including delivery through online marketing platforms) and bursting of all kind of firecrackers up to January 1, 2025."