Tamil Nadu CM Stalin requests Arvind Kejriwal to allow sale of firecrackers in Delhi

"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 percent of their annual business," CM Stalin wrote.

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Delhi government has implemented a complete ban on the production, sale, storage and use of firecrackers till January 1, 2023, as part of its Graded Response Action Plan against pollution.

Adding that the use of firecrackers is seen the world over, even in highly developed nations, as part of the festivities, the Tamil Nadu CM wrote that green crackers were permitted by the Supreme Court to burst during Diwali.

“Hence this calls for a balanced view, taking into consideration the negligible incremental pollution potential of crackers used for a few days and the livelihoods involved. Further, green crackers have been scientifically developed and the Supreme Court has permitted the sale of green crackers through licensed traders," he said.

For the last few years, Delhi has been witnessing a severe drop in air quality, especially around Diwali. The Air Quality Index in Delhi dipped to 462 in the city during Diwali last year, making it the most toxic air seen on the festival in the past five years.

But, while stubble burning and firecrackers do contribute to the grey haze in the city, long-term factors like vehicular and industrial pollution are major factors behind air pollution in the capital city.