Firecracker ban in parts of Chhattisgarh to control air pollution

A firecracker ban has been enforced in six major cities of Chhattisgarh for two months in order to control air pollution, a senior official said Sunday. The ban, between December 1 this year and January 31 next year, has been put in place in Raipur, Bilaspur, Bhilai, Durg, Raigarh and Korba by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board, its spokesperson Prakash Savant told PTI.

However, he said, bursting of firecrackers will be allowed between 11:55 pm and 12:30 am on Christmas and New Year as per the Supreme Court's directive. The state government in 2017 took the decision to ban crackers in six cities for two months under section 19(5) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Savant said, adding that the move was yielding positive results.

He informed that online continuous stack emission monitoring systems had been installed in all rolling mills in Raipur. Besides, ambient air quality monitoring stations were operational in different parts of Raipur which was helping curb air pollution, he said.

He said these measures had ensured that Raipur's air quality was in the "good" category.