Ranchi: People in the state will be permitted to burst firecrackers within a two-hour window on Diwali and other subsequent festivals despite worries expressed by physicians and health professionals that the Covid situation would worsen over the holiday season.
The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) has announced an order allowing the bursting of fireworks in private locations between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali and Guruparv in response to the National Green Tribunal’s directive to all states amid the continuing Covid-19 epidemic. Crackers are permitted between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am during Christmas and New Year’s, and between 6 am and 8 am during Chhath.
This year, a blanket ban has been imposed on crackers at public places to reduce air pollution, which will make life more difficult for Covid patients who are in home isolation and those who have recently recovered from the infection.
The JSPCB divided the state’s 24 districts into 10 with excellent and sufficient levels of pollution and 14 with moderate levels of contamination. In a detailed guideline, JSPCB divided the 24 districts of the state into 14 moderately polluted ones and 10 districts with good and satisfactory levels of pollution.
A letter issued by JSPCB secretary Rajiv Lochan Bakshi said Ranchi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Palamu, West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Hazaribag, Giridih, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Godda, Pakur and Sahibganj have been categorized as moderately polluted cities with a pollution range of 101- 200 ppm. In these 14 districts, only green crackers will be allowed.
In the remaining 10 districts — Chatra, Garhwa, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, Koderma, Jamtara and Dumka — pollution levels were recorded between 1 and 100 ppm and all kinds of firecrackers within 125 decibels will be allowed.
The categorization was made on the basis of the Air Quality Index across the 24 districts in the month of November. Meanwhile, the Ranchi district administration has made elaborate arrangements to ensure a smooth Diwali and deployed policemen across various locations of the city to handle any exigency.
Ranchi ADM (law and order) Lokesh Mishra said, “We have deployed three dozen teams on two-wheelers and more than five quick reaction teams for security purposes during the festival. At least 57 static points have been identified where the ppropriate deployment of forces has been done.