“Compassionate City of Residents” submitted a letter to B. Dayananda

SC order stipulates that bursting of crackers should not occur after 10 PM

BBMP and AWBI/KAWB would also be involved

Officials of the Pollution Control Board in Karnataka have a firm resolve to crackdown on the sale of ‘non-green’ crackers before the commencement of Deepavali. The fire accident in a firecracker shop in Attibele that claimed 17 lives has propelled the authorities to take a more firm stance this year. 

A group named “Compassionate City of Residents” submitted a letter to the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) B. Dayananda citing a Supreme Court order from 2018 that banned the use of non-green firecrackers across the state. The order also stipulates that bursting of crackers should not occur after 10 PM. It also prohibits the sale of crackers around school and hospital premises. “While this (SC ruling) has been in force for a while, the Supreme Court has put the onus of responsibility squarely on the police, specifically the station house officer (SHO). Therefore, it becomes even more critical to ensure that police can implement and work closely with the stakeholders to address and prevent any law breakage proactively.” the letter read. 

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has formed a special task force with the aim to identify and prevent the sale of “non-green” crackers including through the means of the internet. Police, BBMP, fire, commercial tax, transportation, AWBI/KAWB (for animals) and Health and Family Welfare departments would also be involved in this initiative.