BS Yediyurappa says Karnataka govt will ban firecrackers during Diwali due to COVID-19

Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the state government will be issuing an order banning the use of firecrackers during Diwali, due to prevailing 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, he said firecrackers will be banned due to the pandemic and other related reasons this year. Several states including Rajasthan, Odisha, Delhi have already decided to ban firecrackers.

Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar on Thursday said firecrackers can badly impact the health of those who have already been infected by . He also said experts have advised to control their use, and a final decision will be taken after consultation with Yediyurappa.