Ahmedabad saw widespread firecracker use beyond the permitted hours during Diwali celebrations, with reported breaches of noise and air pollution rules, unlicensed roadside sales and heavy crowds at locations including the Sabarmati Riverfront, according to Nav Gujarat Samay – Ahmedabad.
The report said police regulations allowed firecrackers between 8 pm and 10 pm, but bursts and fireworks continued across several parts of the city until late at night. Residential buildings, apartment complexes, offices, open grounds, CG Road, SG Highway and the riverfront were among the locations where people gathered to celebrate.
The reported violations included the use of firecrackers outside the permitted time window and the alleged sale of fireworks from temporary stalls, handcarts, tents and roadside setups. The report said licensed shops were limited in several areas, while temporary sellers were present in much larger numbers. It also stated that many such sellers did not appear to have fire-safety equipment, raising concerns about the consequences of a fire or other accident.
Nav Gujarat Samay – Ahmedabad reported that firecracker prices had risen by about 20 to 30 per cent, but demand remained strong. Individual buyers were reportedly spending between Rs 5,000 and Rs 25,000, while the report estimated that total firecracker sales in the city exceeded Rs 100 crore. That estimate was presented as an assessment in the report and was not accompanied by an official sales statement in the supplied material.
The report also attributed a sharp deterioration in air quality to the scale of the celebrations, stating that Ahmedabad’s air quality index crossed 650. It said the availability of green firecrackers was limited or negligible at many shops and alleged that Supreme Court guidelines and rules governing green firecrackers were widely breached. The supplied report did not identify the monitoring station, measurement period or official agency behind the AQI figure.
Areas near hospitals and other locations requiring quieter conditions were also reportedly affected by fireworks and smoke. The report said enforcement action for violations was limited, including in areas where the alleged breaches took place in the presence of police. No official police response or confirmed number of cases registered was provided in the supplied material.
The Sabarmati Riverfront became another focus of the celebrations. According to the report, visitors set off fireworks there from the evening until late night, while vehicles were parked irregularly along roads. The resulting crowds and parking caused traffic congestion, and firecracker debris was reported to have entered the river. The report noted that pollution in the Sabarmati is already before the Gujarat High Court, but it did not provide a new court order or official assessment linking the Diwali debris to a measured change in river water quality.
The reported events place enforcement, temporary firecracker sales and the management of high-footfall public spaces at the centre of Ahmedabad’s post-Diwali response. The supplied report did not state what action municipal, police or pollution-control authorities would take next.
