Bhupinder Singh, regional officer, HSPCB, said, "There is still a need to educate people on the ill-effects of crackers on environment, and thus human health. We have, therefore, taken an initiative to bring down air pollution ahead of Diwali."

The pollution control board will also run a no-plastic drive this year to spread awareness about harmful impacts of plastic lights on environment.

"More than crackers, plastic materials used by people during Diwali are harmful. For instance, electric lights, generally imported from China, lead to environmental burden. Most of them are of inferior quality, and thus can't be reused next year. Most people throw them as waste where they are burnt and thus cause severe air pollution. We are educating people to use traditional clay diyas instead of electric lights," said an HSPCB official.

Besides this, the board restricts manufacturing and sale of firecrackers above the noise level of 125 decibel (db) at 4 meters from the point of bursting firecrackers. "Like every year, we are keeping a check on the noise level of firecrackers. There is a ban on firecrackers above the noise level of 125 decibel at the distance of 4 meters. These are implemented as per the norms of the Ministry of Environment and Forests," said the official of HSPCB.

An activist, however, said the step taken by the pollution control department is a little late. "Though I appreciate the move to spread awareness about ill-effects firecrackers and plastic, I think it is too late to start a no-cracker campaign. It should have started well before Dussehra as air pollution level already touched highest level in Gurgaon," he said.