Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has urged residents to avoid firecrackers and follow a permitted bursting window of 7pm to 10pm during Diwali, warning that the city’s average air quality index can rise from 91 to 212 because of toxic emissions.
The civic body said the restrictions apply under directions from the National Green Tribunal and the Bombay High Court. An order issued by the tribunal’s Principal Bench in New Delhi on November 3, 2023, and directions issued by the Bombay High Court in suo motu Public Interest Litigation No. 3/2023, allow firecrackers to be burst only between 7pm and 10pm.
NMMC also referred to a Government of India notification dated October 5, 1999, under which the manufacture, sale or use of firecrackers producing noise above 125 decibels is illegal. The civic body said the Supreme Court has separately prohibited firecrackers containing barium salts, lithium, arsenic, lead and mercury because they release toxic gases that can harm animals and plants.
According to NMMC, the city’s average AQI, usually recorded at 91, rises to 212 during Diwali. The corporation linked the increase in pollution from firecrackers to respiratory problems, making the seasonal spike a public-health concern in addition to an enforcement issue.
The civic body said sellers must comply with restrictions under the Explosives Act, 1884, and the Explosives Rules, 2008. Banned firecrackers cannot be sold, while permitted firecrackers may be sold only after obtaining permission and only at locations designated by the corporation.
NMMC has asked the police to enforce the restrictions and instructed divisional assistant commissioners to monitor compliance. Educational institutions have also been directed to ensure strict implementation and educate students about the environmental harm caused by firecrackers. Details of the measures, implementation process and penalties are available on the corporation’s website.
Mayor Sujata Patil and municipal commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde appealed to residents to celebrate with earthen lamps and to use paper or cloth sky lanterns and bags instead of plastic. They also asked residents not to place electric lights on trees and to use waste and recyclable materials during celebrations.
The appeal has been issued under Maharashtra government’s Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, Swachh Survekshan 2026 and Swachh Vayu Survekshan campaigns. The restrictions place responsibility on multiple agencies: the civic corporation for permissions and monitoring, police for enforcement, schools for awareness and sellers for compliance with explosives and noise regulations.
