Bhopal district administration bans conventional crackers on Diwali:Gives nod to the sale of green crackers only, non-compliance to invite strict legal action

The Bhopal district administration on Friday has imposed a complete ban on conventional firecrackers this Diwali. Only green crackers, which are considered less harmful to the environment, will be permitted for sale and use, the officials said. Decision taken during meeting at Collectorate The order was announced during a review meeting held at the Collectorate office on Friday, attended by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Prakash Nayak, officials from the Pollution Control Board, Fire Department, and representatives of the fireworks trade. Nayak warned that selling banned fireworks would invite strict legal action, including an FIR and sealing of shops. Traders have also been directed to install adequate fire-safety equipment to prevent any mishap. 1k temporary shops laid across seven locations Nearly 1,000 retail shops will be set up across seven designated locations in Bhopal for Diwali sales. These markets will be monitored jointly by SDMs, police, fire officials, and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC). The district administration authorities will inspect all outlets in the coming days, and licences will be suspended if safety standards are found lacking. SDMs to spearhead inspection drives Further in the meeting, ADM Nayak said that special teams led by Sub-Divisional Magistrates will oversee both permanent and temporary firecracker outlets. SDM Ravishankar Rai will inspect Halalpur, Karond, Jamunia Chhir, Suncity Garden, Madhav Ashram, and Gandhi Nagar areas, while SDM Deepak Pandey will monitor Shahjahan Park. Inspections will also take place across Govindpura, TT Nagar, and MP Nagar under respective SDMs. 180 shops yet to be allotted space Around 180 retailers at Bhopal’s Sant Hirdaram Nagar and Bitton Market Dussehra grounds are still awaiting final space allocation. Repeated appeals by traders to the Collector and ADM have so far failed to secure a designated area, raising concerns of crowding in Halalpur’s wholesale market. Strict safety, compliance guidelines issued All traders must adhere to safety norms, including selling crackers under tin sheds, keeping fire extinguishers and sand buckets, using new electrical wiring, and maintaining a minimum three-metre gap between shops, the officials underscored. Bhopal Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh emphasised that any irregularities would lead to suspension of licences. The Wholesale Firecracker Association President Asandas Chandnani urged early licence issuance to reduce congestion at wholesale markets.