Sparklers were seen lighting up the night sky as cookies exploded on the ground in various areas.
The National Green Court (NGT) had imposed on Monday a total ban on the sale or use of all types of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) until midnight on November 30.
The Delhi government had also imposed a total ban on all types of fireworks earlier this month until November 30.
People popping cookies and fireworks at Mayur Vihar-1 despite the ban on #Delhi. #Diwali https://t.co/HtMm3WtDkj
– TOI Delhi (@TOIDelhi) 1605375827000
However, on Diwali night, firecrackers could be seen in various residential neighborhoods in the national capital around 8 pm.
A doctor in the Kailash Hills area said: “Everyone was posting pictures of clear blue skies during the Covid-19 shutdown. Now, we can all see how bad the contamination is. The cookie explosion will make things worse.” .
“The Delhi government has banned it, but you can see what’s going on,” he said.
Delhi police, however, said they have deployed personnel in many parts of the city and action will be taken against those who violate the ban.
#Delhi: people popping cookies despite ban during #Diwali on Saturday https://t.co/ELLFC00UiL
– TOI Delhi (@TOIDelhi) 1605372895000
“We have deployed adequate police personnel to control the illegal sale and the setting off of firecrackers. Personnel have also been deployed today and action will be taken against criminals,” said a senior police officer.
In the Lajpat Nagar area in South Delhi, many cookies could be heard.
Chitra, a resident, said, “Amid the pandemic and pollution, this Diwali is different. We generally avoid setting off firecrackers for this reason. For us, Diwali is about spending quality time with family at home and exchange sweets with neighbors and ground lamps.. ”
Jyothi, another Lajpat Nagar resident, said it was difficult at first to explain the ban to children.
“But we told them that if we don’t pop cookies this Diwali, God will save us from the virus and they can play with their friends like before. We need to find ways to convince the children.
“They don’t understand otherwise. But when they heard others bursting firecrackers, they asked us, but again we convinced them again,” he said.
However, Shailesh Kumar, a resident of Patparganj, said that no one in her residential society broke cookies this time.
In Laxminagar, Kavish Chaudhary, a resident, said that last year he broke cookies together with friends, but this time he was avoiding it due to the coronavirus.
In neighboring Delhi’s Noida, Pawan Kumar said he could hear a lot of firecrackers.
“People broke cookies even though there was a ban. There should have been strict measures to enforce the ban at ground level,” he said.
Nitish Tyagi, a resident of the Sihani area of Ghaziabad, had a similar experience.
Hours earlier, Delhi police arrested 10 people and recorded 12 cases for alleged sale of firecrackers in the national capital, authorities said.
“Of the 12 cases, one was in the northeast district, four in the southeast, two outside-north, one outside, three in Dwarka and one in the southwest,” said Anil Mittal, PRO (Delhi Police ) additional.
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