The Delhi Police and all the SDMs will keep a close watch on the purchase and sale of firecrackers and its use on the occasion of Diwali informed Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday.

He said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had issued instructions to the Delhi Police and the SDMs to maintain a 24-hour vigil to prevent pollution caused by firecrackers with a special focus on the situation in the border areas of the city.

He said so far 12,957 kg of crackers had been seized by the police and 32 people have been booked under the anti-cracker campaign.

Gopal Rai said, “The Delhi Police and the SDMs have been directed to maintain 24×7 vigil to check the pollution caused by firecrackers so that the purchase, sale and burning of firecrackers can be stopped. A special vigilance campaign would be run in the border areas of Delhi so that illegally, there is no purchase, sale, movement and storage of firecrackers anywhere. In this context, instructions were issued to the police and the SDMs on behalf of the DPCC today.”

He continued, “The Delhi government started the ‘Patakhe Nahi, Diye Jalao’ campaign on 27 October. If there are reports of buying, selling and burning of firecrackers anywhere in Delhi, the police can be informed by calling 112 so that it can take appropriate action. Along with the police, the SDM teams will also be involved in this campaign.”

He said to prevent pollution inside Delhi, a campaign called ‘Yuddh, Pradushan Ke Virrudh’ is being run by the Delhi government and this includes the anti-dust campaign, the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ drive and the stubble decomposition idea.

The pollution level in Delhi increases significantly due to the burning of firecrackers during Diwali. To prevent this, the government has already decided that this time on the occasion of Diwali, there will be a ban on the sale of firecrackers and burning them.

In an appeal to the people of Delhi, Rai said, “I urge you to celebrate Diwali by lighting ‘diyas’. Diwali is celebrated with ‘diyas’ and pollution is spread by firecrackers. We have to celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm, but we have to help control pollution too with the same level of responsibility.”