The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday announced that the sale and bursting of firecrackers will be banned in 13 districts, located in or near National Capital Region, from midnight November 9 to midnight November 30. Yogi Adityanath government took this decision in the wake of deteriorating air quality in districts -- Muzaffarnagar, Agra, Varanasi, Meerut, Hapur, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Baghpat, and Bulandshahr.
Meanwhile, the state government has allowed the sale and use of green crackers in only those districts where air quality is 'moderate' or better.
The ban on the firecrackers will be lifted by the respective district administrations on December 1 after reviewing the air quality of these districts. If the AQI of any of these districts remains the same or threatening, the ban will remain in place till further notice.
The Adityanath government will comply with the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding firecrackers on Diwali this year.
As per the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avanish Awasthi, "The NGT's order is a detailed one and we will comply with it. The air quality is deteriorating and steps have to be taken to address the issue."
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