Only green crackers permitted for two hours on festivals in 6 Uttarakhand towns

Residents of six towns of Uttarakhand will be allowed to burst only green crackers for two hours on Diwali, Gurpurab and Chhath festivals, according to an official order issued on Wednesday.

Chief Secretary Om Prakash said the order applies to the residents of Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Haldwani, Rudrapur and Kashipur.

People living within the limits of these cities will be allowed to burst green crackers from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali and Gurpurab and from 6 am to 8 am on Chhath, the order said.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has also appealed to the people to avoid bursting crackers and keep the air clean.

"People should burst as few crackers as they can. This is good not just for the environment but also for their own health," Rawat said on the sidelines of a function here. 

(IMAGE CREDITS:PTI)