Pollution primarily caused by Chinese firecrackers: RSS affiliate to states

RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch said illegally imported firecrackers from China primarily cause pollution and urged state governments to avoid banning "less polluting" green crackers made in India

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RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Saturday said illegally imported firecrackers from China primarily cause pollution and urged state governments to avoid banning "less polluting" green crackers made in India.

Underlining that the livelihood of nearly one million people depends on the firecracker industry, SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan in a statement said, "Throughout the year, these people wait for Deepawali to sell their firecrackers. In such a situation, it is not prudent to ban domestically made green firecrackers which are less polluting."

For some time, without any factual information, state governments have been taking action like banning all types of firecrackers on Diwali, which is completely inappropriate.

"It has to be understood that till now the pollution caused by firecrackers was primarily due to illegally imported firecrackers from China," he said.

The SJM pleads to the governments of Delhi, Rajasthan, Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka and all other state governments, which have imposed a complete ban on firecrackers, to repeal the same, Mahajan said.

The organisation also urged the central government to inform the National Green Tribunal about the real pollution effects of green firecrackers, he said.

Several state governments have banned crackers due to rise in air pollution and prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation.