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SPCB urged citizens to avoid firecrackers and single-use plastics, promoting eco-friendly alternatives such as light displays
Representative Image (PTI photo)
The Sikkim Pollution Control Board (SPCB) on Saturday issued an order banning the manufacture, sale, and use of all types of sound- and light-emitting firecrackers in the state ahead of Diwali, which falls on October 20.
In its directive, the SPCB urged citizens to avoid firecrackers and single-use plastics, promoting eco-friendly alternatives such as light displays and other environmentally conscious ways of celebrating the festival.
Meanwhile, in Aligarh, the firecracker market has opened ahead of Diwali, with shoppers gradually visiting stalls at Numai Ground.
Various firecrackers are on sale, including popular items branded “Operation Sindoor” and featuring Indian cricketer Rinku Singh, which are witnessing strong demand.
Separately, on October 15, the Supreme Court eased its earlier blanket ban on firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region, allowing the sale and use of green firecrackers under strict conditions.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandra permitted green firecrackers to be sold and used only between October 18 and October 20.
The court specified that their use would be restricted to 6 am–7 am and 8 pm–10 pm on these two days.
The apex court emphasised that the relaxation is temporary and part of a test case and cautioned that celebrations should adopt a “balanced approach”.
“We have to take a balanced approach, taking into account the conflicting interests and permitting in moderation, while not compromising the environmental concerns arising,” the bench stated.
Sikkim, India, India
October 18, 2025, 6:24 PM IST
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