Ahead of the Diwali festival, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday announced that only eco-friendly green crackers should be allowed for sale in the state. He stressed the importance of ensuring that there are no injuries, damages or deaths related to firecrackers in the state, while addressing deputy commissioners of all districts, the agency reported press release PTI.

“Deepavali is coming. The Supreme Court has given guidelines on the type of crackers to be burst. Only green crackers should be sold and they should be burst between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.,” Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying after the meeting.

The deputy commissioners have been directed to inspect firecracker shops in all their jurisdictions.

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“District officials should register cases against traders selling crackers other than green ones, if they fail to follow safety rules, sell them at the designated place and do not have proper warehouses to store them “, the CM said.

Highlighting the need to protect the environment, he added, “I have also informed the DCs that there should be no damage, injury or death due to crackers in their districts. »

This follows the creation of a vigilance committee in Bengaluru to enforce stricter regulations on the sale of firecrackers in the city in the run-up to the festival of lights, in a bid to ensure compliance with safety regulations . Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadish spoke to reporters on the matter and stressed the need for authorities to conduct thorough inspections before allowing any sale of firecrackers.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of a tragic incident last year in Attibele, where a fire at a cracker storage facility led to the loss of 17 lives.

(With inputs from PTI)