Amid the ongoing pandemic, the Karnataka government has decided to ban firecrackers in the state ahead of the Diwali festival.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said the government banned firecrackers over coronavirus fear.
Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa said, "Keeping Covid-19 in mind, crackers have been banned in the state. We have discussed this and taken a decision not to allow bursting of fireworks."
With this, Karnataka has joined a list of states that have banned firecrackers before Diwali amid the coronavirus pandemic.
State Health Minister K Sudhakar said firecrackers can badly impact the health of those who have already been infected by coronavirus. He also said experts have advised controlling their use, and a final decision will be taken after consultation with the Chief Minister
Firecrackers ban in other states
Several states including Rajasthan, Odisha, Delhi have already decided to ban firecrackers. The Delhi government banned firecrackers till November 30 with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal holding the festive season and pollution responsible for the rising Covid-19 cases in the city.
The Delhi government said in a statement,"In the wake of the rising pollution and coronavirus cases in Delhi due to the festival season, the Delhi government has decided to put a complete ban on the sale, purchase, and use of firecrackers in the city from November 7 to November 30."
The Odisha government also banned the sale and use of firecrackers during the Diwali festival in view of the health hazards of Covid-19 patients. Last week, the Rajasthan government decided to ban the sale of firecrackers during the festive season in the wake of the crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic.
