Ghaziabad: Amid pollution concerns, firecrackers worth

The Ghaziabad police on Tuesday seized firecrackers worth around ₹50 lakh from an unlicensed warehouse in the old city’s narrow lanes during a raid, said senior officers.
The action followed a tip-off about the illegal stockpile kept at the warehouse in the run-up to Diwali on October 31, police officers said.
With rising pollution levels already choking Delhi and the National Capital Region, the Ghaziabad administration has intensified its crackdown on illegal firecracker traders ahead of Diwali, said officials.
“Around 100 cartons of firecrackers of various brands, stored in hazardous conditions, have been recovered. The illegal warehouse, located in the congested streets of Ghaziabad’s Old City, posed a serious fire risk, which could have resulted in massive loss of life and property if ignited,” said Ritesh Tripathi, assistant commissioner of police, Kotwali, who led the raid.
The crackdown came at a time when the region is grappling with severe air pollution, and strict regulations have been placed on the sale and use of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR.
As per the information from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ghaziabad’s air quality index (AQI) was recorded on Tuesday at 284, under ‘poor’ zone, a deterioration from Monday’s AQI of 257.
Officials said that only “green” firecrackers, which release fewer pollutants, are allowed in the Delhi-NCR. However, the seized cache included a large number of illegal and highly polluting firecrackers.
“A suspect managed to escape the scene when police arrived, and efforts are underway to locate and apprehend him. The confiscated firecrackers have been secured, and procedures for their destruction are being initiated. Further legal action is under process,” the ACP added.
Meanwhile, police are probing since how long the illegal trade had been going on and the actual source of the seized firecrackers.
District administration, meanwhile, aims to keep up the pressure on illegal firecracker operations to prevent further spike in pollution during the festive season, when air quality typically worsens due to firecracker emissions.
Notably, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) late Monday activated Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) to combat “very poor” air quality, in response to alarming air quality levels in the NCR.
Key actions under Stage 2 include daily mechanical sweeping, water sprinkling on identified roads, intensified inspections at construction sites, strict enforcement of dust control measures besides focus on ensuring uninterrupted power supply to minimise the use of diesel generators as well as synchronised traffic management to ease congestion.