Yediyurappa reversed his decision to completely ban crackers after backlash from the public.
After announcing a ban on the popping of firecrackers, Karnataka Prime Minister BS Yediyurappa gave in to public pressure on Friday and allowed the sale and popping of “green cookies”. The Chief Minister issued an order late Friday stating that in view of the safety of people with COVID-19 and those susceptible to respiratory infections, the sale and popping of only green cookies would be allowed.
“We received many suggestions after we proposed a ban on firecrackers in this Deepavali. People should celebrate simply with the safety of their children and themselves in mind. I ask people to break only green cookies and celebrate the festival in a simple way, ”Yediyurappa said in a tweet.
The order issued allowed the sale of green firecrackers only. On Friday afternoon, Chief Minister Yediyurappa held a press conference and announced that firecrackers would be banned during this Deepavali. The Chief Minister said the decision was made after consulting with public health experts.
Shortly after the decision was announced, there was a huge backlash on social media, where people criticized the BJP government for its decision and called Yediyurappa anti-Hindu. Hours after announcing the ban, Yediyurappa reversed its decision and allowed the sale and explosion of green cookies.
Green cookies are developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the National Institute for Environmental Engineering Research (NEERI). These do not contain lithium, arsenic, lead or barium. Scientists have named these crackers Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR), and Safe Minimal Aluminum (SAFAL).
However, these help reduce particulate matter by only 40% and are not completely environmentally friendly. The National Green Court said on Thursday that the use of green crackers would not help reduce pollution in New Delhi and would create a “gas chamber” situation. In this view, the court had asked the state and Union governments to also ban green cookies.
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