Ahead of Diwali, Mumbai police ban use and sale of sky lanterns

Mumbai: Ahead of Diwali, Mumbai police on Tuesday banned the use, sale and storage of sky lanterns for a month as a safety and security measure, an official said.

The ban would be in force from October 23 to November 21, an order issued by a senior police official said.

Sky lanterns could pose a grave danger to lives and damage public property, the order said.

Violators of the order will be booked under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said.

Flying sky lanterns had purportedly started a fire in a 36-storey under-construction building in Malad East in January 2015, prompting the then Mumbai fire chief, P Rahangdale, to request police to ban such lanterns.