Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday wrote to his counterparts in Rajasthan and Odisha asking them to reconsider their ban on sale and bursting of crackers keeping in mind the livelihood of labourers involved in producing them.
He also said Sivakasi produces mainly green crackers and the question of environmental pollution does not arise, while arguing that there is no empirical or validated data to demonstrate that the bursting of crackers has effect on Covid patients.
Palaniswami wrote separate letters to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Tamil Nadu is a major cracker manufacturing state using raw materials with reduced emission level and low decibel, Palaniswami said, adding that the state contributes to about 90 percent of total manufacture of crackers in the country, providing direct employment to around 4 lakh people and indirect employment to an equal number of people.
“Their livelihood solely depends on the sale of crackers during Diwali season. The 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,” he wrote in the letters.
He also requested them to reconsider their decision to ban the sale and bursting of crackers this Deepavali season.
Published 05 November 2020, 14:53 IST