MADURAI: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has written to his counterparts in Odisha and Rajasthan, Naveen Patnaik and Ashok Gehlot respectively, urging them to reconsider their decision banning sale and bursting of fireworks for Diwali. The letter came even as Delhi government became the latest to join the bandwagon of states which have banned fireworks and Kolkata high court confirmed the ban in West Bengal on Thursday.
Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu is a major cracker manufacturing state using raw materials with reduced emission and low decibel levels. “Ban on bursting crackers in your state can have a direct bearing on the livelihood of over 8 lakh workers in the state of Tamil Nadu and another equal number of people engaged in its sale. Their livelihood solely depends on the sale of crackers during Diwali season,” Palaniswami said. The state produces green crackers and “therefore the question of environmental pollution does not arise,” he said adding that there is no empirical or validated data to prove that cracker bursting has effect on Covid patients.
“I would like to inform you that in Tamil Nadu, in tune with the Supreme Court directions, we have restricted the bursting of green crackers to one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening,” the CM added.
The Delhi government had earlier announced that only sale and use of green fireworks will be allowed in the national capital. “Sivakasi is the fireworks production hub and Delhi is the market hub for fireworks,” Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (Tanfama) president P Ganesan told TOI. Delhi used to account for 30% of the fireworks turnover in the country. “Fireworks to Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Assam are despatched from Delhi,” he added.
Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal has completed arguments on the matter and said that orders will be uploaded at 10.30 am on Monday (November 9). Indian Fireworks Manufacturers Association (TIFMA) vice-president A S Rajendra Raja was sceptical of the outcome in the NGT. “We are clueless on how we are going to pay bonus and wages for our employees. If the verdict is in support of the ban we will be left with no other option but to abide by the direction,” he added.
Tamil Maanila Congress (M) president and Rajya Sabha MP G K Vasan has also urged governments that banned fireworks to revoke it considering the livelihood of lakhs employed in the industry.