Assam Environment Minister defies NGT guidelines, says bursting firecrackers "won't harm anything"

Guwahati: As several states across India gear up to ban the bursting of firecrackers, Assam's Forest and Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidya has said that the bursting of firecrackers "would not harm anything."

Speaking about the proposed ban on firecrackers, Assam Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said, “Bursting of firecrackers would not harm anything. We cannot ban firecrackers during Diwali. People can burst firecrackers which cannot affect the environment but bursting of firecrackers polluting the environment will not be allowed.”

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A number of states have issued an order to ban firecrackers this festive season. Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices to 18 states and union territories including Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya to expand the scope of hearing cases on pollution. The names of the cities in these states, however, were not mentioned.

Pollution emitted by firecrackers is expected to aggravate the condition of both active as well as recovered COVID-19 patients. Health experts have cautioned that the COVID-19 could deal more damage during the winters as all flus are more prevalent and dangerous during the season.

Moreover, the COVID causes extensive damage to the lungs, due to which breathing becomes laborious for patients. In view of this, several states -- including Northeast India's Sikkim -- have outrightly banned the bursting of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations.

New Delhi, which perennially witnesses toxic smog in days after Diwali, is also facing Covid-19 this time. Amid a massive surge in fresh daily infections in recent days, including record highs, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced a ban on the use of all firecrackers till November 30. Additionally, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Rajasthan have also banned firecrackers.

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