Karnataka bans firecrackers ahead of Diwali due to rising air pollution

Bengaluru: Karnataka joined the list of states to ban firecrackers this Diwali season in the backdrop of rising concerns about air pollution aggravating the condition of Covid-19 patients.

“We have discussed the issue at length and have decided to ban bursting of firecrackers this Deepavali to protect Covid patients. An order will be issued soon,” chief minister BS Yediyurappa told reporters on Friday.

The Karnataka government is likely to issue an order in a day or two.


While states like Rajasthan, Odisha, Delhi and Sikkim have imposed a blanket ban on firecrackers, few states have prohibited the use of imported firecrackers. States like Maharashtra have only issued an advisory urging citizens to avoid bursting crackers.

Karnataka, with 838,929 Covid cases, is one of the worst-hit states. The state accounts for nearly 10% of the country’s total caseload. After a steep surge in cases for over three months, it is only in the last 2-3 weeks that Karnataka has reported a downward trend in Covid cases and fatalities.