Mysore/Mysuru: The Government of Karnataka has banned the sale and bursting of crackers during the coming Deepavali festival in view of prevailing pandemic.

Announcing this in Bengaluru today, Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa said there will be no sale and bursting of crackers as the smoke emanating from them would cause serious health problems for recovered and recovering Corona positive patients. An order to this effect will be issued soon, he added.

It is said that experts and members of Technical Team headed by Dr. M.K.  Sudarshan had apprised Health and Medical Education Minister Dr.K.Sudhakar about the dangers involved in allowing the citizens to burst firecrackers, that too at a time when the State was still reeling under the onslaught of COVID-19. 

Later, the experts also met the CM and explained to him about the need to impose a total ban on the sale and bursting of crackers this time. On the basis of their recommendation, the State Government has decided to take this step.

It may be mentioned here that States like Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal and Haryana have already banned the sale and bursting of firecrackers this year due to pandemic.

When SOM contacted MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, he said “I can comment only after seeing the order.”

Crores of rupees business

The firecracker business runs into crores of rupees. The wholesale traders buy firecrackers from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu well in advance. In Mysuru, the stalls are put up across the city two to three days before the Naraka Chaturdashi festival. However, large number of stalls are put up inside the Town Hall premises. With the Government’s ban on firecrackers this time, the MCC may  not issue licence to put up cracker stalls.