'Revoke blanket ban on sale of fireworks,' Stalin writes to Kejriwal

With Diwali round the corner, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday shot off a letter to his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal asking him to allow the sale of firecrackers that fall within the permissible norms.

The letter comes after firework manufacturers in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi protested the Delhi government’s move to ban the sale of fire crackers. The manufacturers say the ban will affect them for the third consecutive year and 15 per cent of their sales will be impacted.

In his letter, Stalin pointed out that the Supreme Court has allowed bursting firecrackers for two hours on festive occasions and reminded Kejriwal that bursting of crackers as a mark of celebration is an internationally accepted practice, even in the highly environmentally proactive countries.

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"There are several contributing factors for air pollution in Indian cities which include vehicular and industrial emissions. Hence this calls for a balanced view, taking into consideration the negligible incremental pollution potential of crackers used for a few days and the livelihoods involved,” he added.

Further, Stalin said, green crackers have been scientifically developed and the Supreme Court has permitted the sale of green crackers through licensed traders.

“I sincerely urge you to permit the sale of firecrackers that fall within the permissible norms. 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 livelihood as Diwali accounts for 70 per cent of their annual business,” Stalin added.