On Diwali, the Delhi Police arrested 10 people and registered 12 cases for alleged sale of firecrackers in the national capital, officials said on Saturday.

Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government had imposed a total ban on firecrackers, including the environmentally safer green crackers, from November 7 to 30 to combat rising air pollution amid an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the city.

"Among the 12 cases, one was registered in northeast district, four in southeast, two in outer-north, one in outer, three in Dwarka and one in the southwest," Additional PRO (Delhi Police) Anil Mittal said.

"Ten people were arrested on Saturday – one in northeast district, three in southeast, two in outer-north, one in outer, two in Dwarka and one in the southwest," he said, adding that 638.32 kg firecrackers were also recovered.

Police also registered 14 cases for bursting firecrackers – four in east, seven in northeast, and three in northwest districts – during the day and 12 people were arrested, he said.

Till Saturday, 54 cases were registered and 55 people arrested for allegedly selling fireworks in the city. A total of 3,407.852 kg of firecrackers were recovered from their possession, the police said.

Thirty-two cases were registered and 21 people arrested for allegedly bursting firecrackers, they said.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday imposed a total ban on the sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight, saying "celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases".

All the DCPs have been asked to ensure that steps are taken against violators under appropriate sections of the law, and strict action is initiated against the staff for any non-compliance with the order, the Delhi Police had earlier said.

The DCPs of all the 15 police districts will constitute police station-wise teams to supervise the implementation of the NGT order. Each staff would be properly briefed by SHOs concerned to enforce the direction in letter and spirit, it had said.