3 held for bursting banned firecrackers in Noida: District Magistrate

Three people were arrested in Noida on Monday for allegedly bursting a banned variety of firecrackers in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines on containing pollution, officials said. Those held were remanded in custody by Noida City Magistrate Shailendra Mishra, according to the officials.

"Three people were arrested for disrupting law and order by bursting a banned variety of crackers. One individual each was arrested by sectors 20, 24 and Phase 2 police stations," District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh said.

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The police, however, said no such arrests have been made by them. Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna told PTI, "A few people using firecrackers were let off after warning. No such arrests have been made." According to the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration, an FIR under the Explosive Substances Act was also registered against two city-based vendors who were selling the illegal variety of crackers.

"Two vendors have been booked by the Phase 3 police for selling the banned crackers and proceedings against the duo are underway," Singh was quoted as saying in an official statement. "Those arrested were remanded in custody by the city magistrate," he told PTI.

Amid critical weather conditions in Delhi NCR, the Supreme Court had last year ordered a ban on the sale of conventional firecrackers during Diwali. It had allowed the sale of green crackers which are supposed to cause lesser air pollution and instructed the local authorities and police to ensure the implementation of its order.

A hazy cocktail of emissions from fireworks, stubble burning and vehicles hung over the national capital region a day after Diwali on Monday. Greater Noida and Noida recorded their air quality index in the "very poor" category, among other satellite towns of Delhi, according to a data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 

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