MADURAI: Tamil Maanila Congress (M) president and Rajya Sabha member G K Vasan has urged state governments to not ban sale and use of fireworks considering the livelihood of the people employed in the industry.
Vasan said the governments of Rajasthan, West Bengal and Sikkim banned sale and use of fireworks.
The National Green Tribunal issued a notice to chief secretaries, police and pollution control board officials of 18 other states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka on the possibility of banning fireworks from November 7 to 30, he said.
In a statement, the former Union minister said these undue developments posed a threat to the livelihood of six lakh people from the lower and middle income strata, who are engaged in the cracker manufacturing industry in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.
According to Vasan, the ban will deprive children as well as people of all ages the joy of lighting fireworks during the festival. It will also result in an economic crisis, due to which the micro, small, medium and cottage industries will be hit.
He made an appeal to the respective state governments to revoke the ban on fireworks.