Deekshith D V
Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Nov 8: Though chief minister B S Yediyurappa has partially rolled-back the decision of imposing a blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and appealed to the people of the state to celebrate Diwali in a simple manner with green firecrackers, the decision is likely to adversely impact the business of fireworks traders, retailers and wholesale dealers.

Chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday had announced a blanket ban on firecrackers for Diwali this year due to Covid-19 and other related reasons. However, the government made a partial u-turn soon after.

As the decision has come with just a week left for the festival, several retailers and sellers who have already procured firecrackers from manufacturers are in a quandary. It is also said that a few traders have availed loans to procure firecrackers from manufacturers. The last-minute decision of the government has created a lot of confusion and uncertainty among firework traders, retailers and wholesale dealers.

Ananth Kamath of Maya Traders, speaking to daijiworld said, "The government’s last-minute decision of ban crackers and allow only green crackers has created confusion among people. The government had already issued guidelines to sell crackers and also collected GST from the dealers, now the government is allowing the use of only green crackers. This move is a blow to the firework business."

Srinivas Shet, a fireworks dealer said, "This is a wrong decision taken by the state government. There is hardly one week left for Diwali. Fireworks dealers are suffering losses from the past six months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several traders have stocked crackers in their godown. The government partially banning the crackers has put people in a quandary.”

Another trader on the condition of anonymity stated that the crackers which they procured from Sivakasi were green crackers. But the last-minute decision by the government has affected small traders. "Many small traders used to set up stalls to sell firecrackers but the government's decision has affected their livelihood," he added.

However, environmentalists like Dinesh Holla have welcomed the move. "The state government's decision on partially banning the crackers is a good move. Diwali is a festival of lights. Polluting the environment in the name of celebration of festivals is not fair. Burning crackers creates a lot of pollution and moreover it affects the birds and other animals in the environment," Holla told daijiworld.

As per reports, it was found that many traders in the city and general public do not have clarity about green crackers. According to experts, only 10% of crackers are certified as ‘green’. A few traders claim that the crackers they have procured from Sivakasi are green crackers and it is manufactured as per the norms. The last-minute decision of the state government also poses a challenge to the district administrations that are required to ensure adherance to green cracker norms.