Delhi
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urges Kejriwal to lift cracker ban in Delhi; cites ailing Sivakasi cracker industry
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to his New Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, urging him not to impose a blanket ban on the sale of firecrackers that fall within the permissible norms, media reports said.
Stalin underscored how several other factors contribute to air pollution in Indian cities, which include vehicular and industrial emissions, reported India Today.
Stalin added, "When no other state has imposed a total ban on firecrackers, your kind act will light up the lives of lakhs of people around Sivakasi, especially rural women who depend on this industry for their livelihood, as Diwali accounts for 70 percent of their annual business."
In 2020, the National Green Tribunal banned the sale of all types of firecrackers in any district with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 201 or more.
The air quality index having readings between 210 and 300 is termed as 'poor'.
Meanwhile, a study partly funded by IIT Delhi, the Ministry of Education and conducted as part of a collaborative effort between IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and PRL Ahmedabad has said that Diwali and the crop harvesting season and thus stubble burning often coincide, said the report.
Both activities are likely to affect the air quality severely. However, these coinciding events often make it difficult to ascertain the impact of either of the two on ambient air pollution, the study noted.
Despite the ban on crackers in 2021, the AQI for places in Delhi and those surrounding Delhi too remained poor.
On October 10, the Supreme Court a petition filed by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, challenging the blanket ban on sale, purchase, and usage of firecrackers in Delhi during the festive season.
"Our order regarding the ban on firecrackers from the National Capital Region is very clear. How can we allow firecrackers even if they are green crackers? Have you seen the pollution in Delhi?" SC asked Tiwari.
Concerned over the blanket ban, DMK leader TKS Elangovan told India Today that the cracker-making business has been the livelihood of many people in Sivakasi for a long time, and when some states ban the use of crackers completely, those involved in the industry are hit severely.
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