Fearing that Diwali won’t be as happy for workers in the firecracker industry, Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged his counterpart in Delhi to allow the sale of crackers.
Last month, Delhi’s Pollution Control Committee ordered a complete ban on the use, production and sale of all types of firecrackers in the national capital till 1 January 2023.
Stalin said that the ban on firecrackers would add to the burden of an already financially distressed industry that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s take a closer look.
What has MK Stalin said?
Last year, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister made a similar request to the Delhi government.
This year, Stalin said in a letter, “Your kind attention is invited to my earlier letter dated 13 October 2021 urging you not to impose a blanket ban on the sale of fire-crackers and requesting to permit the sale of the fire-crackers that fall within the permissible norms.”
In his letter, Stalin claimed that firecrackers single-handedly don’t add to the city’s pollution.
He said, “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 for a few days and the livelihoods involved.”
Shedding light on how the ban might affect the livelihoods of many workers in Tamil Nadu, the chief minister said, “I sincerely urge you to permit the sale of fire-crackers 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.”
Also read: Breath of Fresh Air: Why Delhi may not choke this Diwali
In his previous letter that he sent out last year, Stalin mentioned the fact that bursting crackers is also an integral part of Diwali celebrations. “Such a ban is not prevalent in other countries. Moreover, such a ban, if imposed by other states also, would lead to the closure of the entire industry, jeopardizing the livelihood of around 800,000 persons. You would also appreciate that bursting of firecrackers is an integral part of Indian festivals, especially Diwali,” he said last year.
Is Sivakasi losing its business?
Tamil Nadu’s city of Sivakasi in the Virudhunagar district is known to be the country’s firecracker hub. The industry supports many families, either directly or indirectly.
The city contributes to almost 90 per cent of the fireworks made in the country, as per a report by Business Standard.
The restriction on the import of Chinese crackers during the Second World War gave a big boost to the domestic cracker industry. It initially offered seasonal work to people, especially, a few months before Diwali. However, as business started to pick up the pace, people began working for the industry round the year.
A firecracker manufacturer told The Hindu, “This is the only industry that offers bonus twice a year to the workers — one for Deepavali and the other for Panguni Pongal.”
The dry and arid geography of Sivakasi offers little scope for agriculture in the region. The firecracker industry as well as matchstick production is the best bet people have to earn a livelihood.
Sivakasi contributes to almost 90 per cent of the fireworks made in the country. PTI
However, over the past few years, people in the firecracker industry of Sivakasi have been fighting for their survival. Even after turning their production towards green crackers, they face an increased level of uncertainty as several states have started to put a blanket ban on the use of crackers.
The vice-president of Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association told India Today, “The Delhi chief minister has banned fireworks for one day but is he banning any other pollution-making units in the state for the rest of the 364 days? Those units are not being banned but a small trade like ours is being finished off.”
The ban on crackers in Delhi
Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai reinstated the ban on firecrackers till 1 January. He also said that the ban will cover online sales and delivery.
Similar restrictions were in place last year. Ban on firecrackers has now become an annual affair to deal with an air quality crisis that hits the national capital in the run-up to Diwali.
Rai tweeted, “To save people from pollution in Delhi like last year this time also the production, storage, sale and use of all types of firecrackers are being completely banned so that lives can be saved.”
Last year, the complete ban on firecrackers was also endorsed by the Supreme Court which rejected a plea that challenged the ruling.
This year’s ban will also apply to the sale of green firecrackers.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Wednesday’s restrictions are in line with standing court orders. In 2020, the National Green Tribunal banned the sale of all firecrackers in any district with an air quality index worse than the poor.
Do firecrackers make Delhi’s pollution worse?
According to a report by BBC, a study in 2018 tried to determine whether or not firecrackers add to Delhi’s pollution.
The study was conducted in five different locations across Delhi. Researchers used data gathered between 2013 and 2016.
Dhananjay Ghei, the chief author of the study said, “We used Nasa satellite data to establish when crop burning was happening in northern India.”
The study revealed that in two years out of the four years, crop burning did not directly coincide with Diwali celebrations.
The study also pointed out the fact that industrial activity in one of five locations had stopped owing to the holiday season.
By the second day of the festival, the concentration of PM2.5 had increased by over 40 per cent by the second day of Diwali, hence proving that firecrackers do add to the pollution levels in Delhi.
With inputs from agencies
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