Gurugram will allow green crackers for two hours on November 7 and 8. The district administration said these crackers are permitted from 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm. Officials warned that conventional and barium crackers remain banned, and police will patrol to ensure strict compliance.
Sealed boxes carrying QR codes are mandatory, and conventional and barium crackers and ladis remain banned. Pic: iStock
The Gurugram district administration has issued a detailed enforcement plan for the Supreme Court's temporary relaxation of the firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR.Green crackers will be permitted during two limited time slots over the Diwali weekend, after which a complete ban will come back into effect.
In an order dated November 3, Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh appointed Additional Deputy Commissioner Sonu Bhatt as nodal officer to implement, monitor and report compliance with the apex court's October 29 order in Gurugram.
Green crackers will be permitted only between 6 am and 7 am and between 8 pm and 10 pm on November 7 and 8. Trade licences that were cancelled stand restored from November 4 to 6, only for the sale of CSIR-NEERI approved green crackers. The complete ban is back in force from November 9, covering sale, storage and bursting.
The nodal officer will finalise, with the police, a list of designated sale locations for approval and wide publicity. No sale is permitted at any other location or on online platforms. Sealed boxes carrying QR codes are mandatory, and conventional and barium crackers and ladis remain banned.
The order creates no-cracker zones within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones. These are to be marked on the ground and published through the SDMs.
Manufacturers and traders must furnish monetary security, which will be forfeited on any violation. The licence of any violating trader will be cancelled immediately.
The police, with duty magistrates, will form patrolling teams to check designated sites, verify QR codes at random, confiscate illegal or conventional crackers and initiate prosecution. Vehicles will be checked at the district's entry points to stop the inflow of illegal crackers. Banners are to be displayed at sale points, and every shopkeeper must display a copy of the directions.
On air quality, the nodal officer will obtain day-wise AQI reports from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board for November 2 to 6, November 7 to 8 and November 9 to 30, along with sand and water sample analysis. Non-functional AQI monitoring stations in the district are to be inspected and rectified. The Civil Surgeon will provide data on any rise in-patient admissions in government and private hospitals till November 30.
The Municipal Corporations and GMDA must clear solid waste after the festival and sprinkle water in the most polluted areas. Authorities must also publicise the harmful effects of firecrackers through the press, official websites and social media, and sensitise students in schools.
Departments must send daily action-taken reports from November 4 to 9, with a consolidated report due by 7 pm each day. District inputs for the affidavits must reach the DC by December 5.
The Supreme Court has directed the state to file affidavits and reports by December 14, and the matter is listed for compliance on December 16. The court has warned of strict contempt action against responsible officials for non-compliance.