Punjab Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Friday said that in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal, Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the state government is encouraging the use of green crackers.
He said that as the festive season of Diwali, Gurpurab, Christmas and New Year is approaching, the Department of Science, Technology and Environment is allowing only green crackers that do not use barium salt or compounds of antimony, lithium, mercury, arsenic, lead or strontium chromate. Meet Hayer said only green crackers could be busted on Diwali (from 8 pm to 10 pm), on Gurpurab (from 4 am to 5 am and from 9 pm to 10 pm), Christmas (from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am) and New Year eve (from 11.55 pm to 12.30 am).
