On Wednesday, Sikkim government imposed a ban on use of firecrackers throughout the state in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Chief Secretary S C Gupta notified the order under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to impose a complete ban on bursting of firecrackers in the state till further orders.
He said, although the active cases in the state have declined and a significant number of patients has recovered from the disease, the increase in air pollution on account of bursting firecrackers may prove hazardous for those who have recovered as well as active COVID-19 patients.
Starting from Rajasthan and Odisha to Bengal and Haryana — these states have made it mandatory to ban the use of fire crackers, keeping in mind the pollution and coronavirus pandemic in mind.
The Rajasthan government has decided to ban the sale of firecrackers during the festive season in the state in the wake of the crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic. “Protecting the lives of people is paramount for the government in this challenging time,” Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said.
Meanwhile, Delhi is set for its first full-fledged date with ‘green’ crackers this Deepavali amid growing sentiment against not deepening the air pollution crisis the Capital countenances every winter.
A ban on fireworks in Delhi was imposed in 2018 and in 2019 only ‘green’ crackers were allowed, but the permission had come too late for manufacturers to ensure their availability on time.