Karnataka, Maharashtra ban firecrackers
BENGALURU/MUMBAI: To arrest the spread of COVID-19, the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments have banned the sale and use of firecrackers to contain virus during Deepavali celebrations. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the government will soon issue an order banning the use of firecrackers. Also, Maharashtra issued SOPs on preventions to contain spread of virus during Deepavali.
To arrest the spread of Covid-19, the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments have banned the sale and use of firecrackers to contain virus during Diwali celebrations.
The Punjab government has also imposed a similar ban in Chandigarh. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the state government will be issuing an order banning the use of firecrackers during Deepavali, due to prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
“We have discussed it (cracker ban), we are taking a decision to ban the use of firecrackers during Deepavali. The government will soon be issuing an order to this effect,” Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said due to Covid and related reasons use of firecrackers are being banned this time. Several states including Rajasthan, Odisha and Delhi have already decided to ban firecrackers.
State Health Minister K
Sudhakar said firecrackers can badly impact the health of those who have already been infected by coronavirus. He also said experts have advised to control their use, and a final decision will be taken after consultation with the Chief Minister.
On the other hand the Maharashtra government issued Standard Operating Procedures on preventive measures to contain COVID-19. The health minister Rajesh Tope said that he prefers ‘firecracker-free’ Diwali to check pollution and COVID-19 spread.
“We appeal to the people to have a cracker-free Diwali celebration and we are confident that the people will cooperate for overall betterment of people’s health. The smoke due to firecrackers causes discomfort to people. In the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, we must have a cracker-free Diwali,” Tope said.
Meanwhile, UT Adviser Manoj Parida said, “I hereby order a complete ban on sale or use of crackers of any kind, throughout the union territory of Chandigarh.”