The Delhi government has decided to reimpose the ban on the manufacturing, sale, storage and use of all kinds of firecrackers in the capital as part of an action plan to reduce pollution levels in winter, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday. Addressing a press conference here, he said the Delhi Police will be issued strict directions to implement the ban in the city.

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The Delhi government has been following the practice of banning all kinds of firecrackers for the last three years. "We have seen a considerable improvement in Delhi's air quality in the last five-six years but we have to improve it further. Therefore, we have decided to ban firecrackers this year too," Rai said.

Last year, the government had announced that bursting firecrackers on Diwali in the city would attract a jail term up to six months and a fine of Rs 200. It had said production, storage and sale of firecrackers in Delhi would be punishable with a fine of up to Rs 5,000 and three years in jail under Section 9B of the Explosives Act