Already alarmed at stubble fires (508 in the past 10 days) in the state severely damaging air quality, the Supreme Court ban on the sale of crackers in the NCR is likely to see wholesalers dumping their stock in Punjab, where cracker rates have already plummeted by more than 20 per cent.
“Our super stockists in Delhi are offering discounts on crackers exceeding 20 per cent, and with down payments in cash, it touches 36 per cent over and above the discount,” said Ravdeep Singh, a wholesale dealer, from Ludhiana.
In a damage-control mode, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) chief Kahan Singh Pannu said: “We propose to add taxes so the discounts fail to attract buyers.” A “green Diwali” campaignkicks off tomorrow.