The justification isn't hard, considering the twin issues facing the country at the moment -- the Coronavirus pandemic and the pollution in the air. Here's a look at the states that have banned firecrackers
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DelhiDate of Ban: November 5On November 5, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the ban on the use of firecrackers in the national capital after reviewing the COVID-19 situation. The Delhi CM urged the people to not use firecrackers this Diwali for the safety of their kids and family. He said, "we will celebrate Diwali together and won't burst firecrackers in any condition. There will be a wonderful atmosphere and good vibes as two crore people will perform Laxmi Pujan. It will lead to wellbeing in each household."
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MaharashtraDate of Ban: November 6Maharashtra government on November 6 issued guidelines for the citizens to keep in mind while celebrating Diwali. The government appealed to the people to not burst crackers during Diwali citing ecological concerns as it damages the environment and adds to the air pollution and noise pollution. Meanwhile, the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) imposed a ban on the bursting of firecrackers at public places during Diwali in view of rising COVID-19 cases in the city. Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani announced on Thursday that violators shall be penalized.
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KarnatakaDate of Ban: November 6On November 6, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced the ban on the use of firecrackers in the state citing COVID and related reasons. In a statement, Yediyurappa said: “Many suggestions have come in from the public over the sale and use of crackers this Deepavali. The government is doing everything to contain Covid-19. Given the situation, it is deemed fit to celebrate Deepavali in a simple, meaningful, devotional manner keeping public health in mind. In this regard, it is requested that only green crackers are used.”
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West BengalDate of Ban: November 5The Calcutta High Court on November 5 ordered a ban on bursting of all kinds of crackers or fireworks for Kali Puja, Diwali, and Chhatpuja in West Bengal. The court also imposed a ban on the sale of firecrackers in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The order was passed by a division bench of justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee while hearing Public Interest Litigations in this regard.
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OdishaDate of Ban: November 3The Odisha government had passed an order banning the sale and use of firecrackers across the state during the festive season to check air pollution which can create serious problems for COVID-19 patients. According to the government’s order, the ban will remain in place from November 10 to 30. Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said, “Considering the potentially harmful consequences of burning of crackers amidst COVID-l9 pandemic situation and approaching winter, Government of Odisha, therefore, prohibits the sale and use of firecrackers from 10th to 30th of November, 2020 in the public interest."
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RajasthanDate of Ban: November 2Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was the first to announce the ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers during Diwali this year. Gehlot said, "State govt has taken the decision to ban the sale and bursting of firecrackers in order to protect the health of COVID-19 infected patients & public from poisonous smoke emanating due to fireworks. In this challenging corona pandemic time, protecting lives of ppl is paramount for govt."
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SikkimDate of Ban: November 4The Sikkim government imposed a complete ban on firecrackers throughout the state in view of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Chief Secretary S C Gupta said that though the active cases in the state are going down and a significant number of patients has recovered from the infection, the increase in air pollution due to the bursting of firecrackers may prove hazardous for the recovered as well as the active patients.
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HaryanaDate of Ban: November 6In Haryana, decision was taken to prevent the risk of spread of Covid-19 due to pollution created by bursting of crackers. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that after the detailed discussion, it had been decided to completely ban the sale of crackers in the state.
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ChandigarhDate of Ban: November 6Chandigarh administration banned firecrackers under the Disaster Management Act. Recently, the administration had put the issuance of temporary licences for selling crackers on hold despite holding a draw of lots. In a meeting for COVID-19 pandemic, the UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore had said: "Doctors have shared, that toxic air rising out of crackers is likely to affect the lungs, and hence, the residents should avoid or minimise bursting of firecrackers during the festival season. There is a need to keep the city pollution-free so, that there was no resurgence of lung diseases or COVID cases."
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