Karnataka pollution control board forms task force to clamp down on 'non-green' firecrackers this Diwali: Report

Residents urge officials to uphold air quality and noise pollution standards.

Published on: Oct 24, 2023, 14:43:58 IST

By Yamini C S

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In a bid to ensure a safe Deepawali this year, pollution control board officials in Karnataka have constituted a special task force to clap down on sellers of “non-green” firecrackers. This comes in the backdrop of a tragedy in Attibele recently, wherein as many as 17 lost their lives when a cracker go-down caught fire.

This festive season will only see green and eco-friendly crackers.

ALSO READ | ‘Will decide on crackers ban after discussing with CM Siddaramaiah,’ says Karnataka home minister

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) was spurred into action by a letter from a group - Compassionate City - of residents, in which they cited a Supreme Court ruling from October 2018 that bans non-green firecrackers across the country, specifies timings (from 8-10pm) to burst said crackers and disallows the selling or bursting of crackers near schools and hospitals, according to a report.

The residents urged officials to ensure safety and uphold air quality and noise pollution standards. The letter, submitted to Bengaluru top cop B Dayananda, read, "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.”

ALSO READ | Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah suspends three officials, orders inspection of cracker shops across state

Some members of the group met with officials of the KSPCB on October 10, after which authorities from various departments held a meeting on October 12 to discuss measures to ensure safe and eco-friendly festival celebrations. Departments including police, BBMP, fire, commercial tax, transportation, AWBI/KAWB (for animals), Health and Family Welfare participated in the meeting.

ALSO READ | Attibele fire tragedy: ‘Victims were students’, says CM Siddaramaiah

One group member told the publication that some vendors are selling crackers online, and urged even the cybercrime department to be involved in the crackdown against illegal fireworks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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