New Delhi: One of the main reasons behind the open flouting of the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the National Capital Region was that the decision was announced too late and it was mired in lack of clarity. The Delhi Police arrested 850 people for selling or bursting crackers, but by then a lot of damage had already been done to the air quality.Delhi is not alone. Various state governments acted and then dithered or reversed their decisions around imposing a complete ban on firecrackers. Despite poor air quality and the threat of the pandemic persisting, little by way of a concerted effort was made to enforce the curbs except on the day of Diwali.When in October, Delhi began experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal declared that the third wave had arrived, several medical experts had cautioned that rising air pollution could aggravate the situation.In light of this, the Delhi government on November 6 announced a ban on the sale and bursting of all types of firecrackers from November 7 to 30. “This time around, there is pollution and COVID-19. When firecrackers are burst on Diwali, people are unable to breathe properly for around 3-4 hours late at night due to air pollution,” he reasoned. The order also included a ban on ‘green crackers’.Firecracker ban being flouted in Ghaziabad. Photo: PTIHowever, as this led to protests by traders, who were backed by several BJP leaders, the AAP government relaxed the norms and said the sale of ‘green crackers’ will be allowed. In the absence of readily available expertise, it became difficult for law enforcers to distinguish between a green and a regular cracker. Also, by the time the decision was announced, large amounts of crackers had already been sold. Delhi being a wholesale market also attracts traders from nearby states.Haryana and Uttar PradeshAmong the neighbouring states, too, there was no uniformity in decision making. Haryana, which surrounds Delhi on three sides, first announced a ban on firecrackers but later revoked it on November 8 saying it would allow bursting of crackers for two hours on Diwali evening. Its chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the decision was taken in accordance with the guidelines issued by the National Green Tribunal.Uttar Pradesh, which too shares a border with Delhi, imposed a complete ban on sale of firecrackers, but in the absence of any enforcement, crackers were sold openly and also burst in large numbers on Diwali night.With the states adopting different criteria and approach towards firecrackers, the National Green Tribunal stepped in on November 9 and imposed a total ban on sale and use of firecrackers in Delhi and adjoining areas from November 9 to November 30. Its order also provided that anyone found bursting firecrackers could be sentenced to one-and-half to six years in jail. The order applied to over two dozen districts across four states that are a part of the NCR.Also read: Tanishq Takes Down Ad Promoting Cracker-Free Diwali After BacklashNGT extended banAs for areas outside this zone, the NGT order said the ban on firecrackers will be applicable to all “cities and towns where the average ambient air quality in November last year was “poor” or worse. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe and above that as hazardous.It also added that if a state had imposed “more stringent measures (to check air pollution) under orders of the authorities, the same will prevail”.This part was crucial because before the NGT order, Sikkim, West Bengal, Odisha, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi had issued their own orders for banning firecrackers. Of these, while Delhi had issued orders under the Air Act, Sikkim, Odisha and Haryana had used provisions of the Disaster Management Act or the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or both to impose restrictions. West Bengal too had imposed restrictions with a six month term for violators following a Calcutta high court order, while Rajasthan announced penalties for violations.Firecrackers being burst in Mumbai. Photo: PTIRestrictions floutedBut despite all these restrictions, firecrackers were burst in huge numbers in several places, including Delhi and its adjoining townships leading to a sharp fall in air quality.In Delhi, the PM2.5 level was recorded at ‘severe’ level on Diwali night. It was found to be over eight times worse than the safe limit of 60 micro grams per metre cube as per Indian standards.The situation was even worse in Ghaziabad, that adjoins Delhi. Here the air quality index in several areas fell below 800 or in the ‘hazardous’ level.Over 1,200 cases were registered by the Delhi police and 1,314 kilograms of crackers were seized in Delhi on Diwali day itself. Unlike Delhi, the Uttar Pradesh or Haryana police did little to control bursting of crackers on the day.