TNI Bureau: As Odisha is going through a critical stage of Corona Pandemic and things may become worse during the Winter, especially for the elderly, children and persons with co-morbidities and respiratory problems, the Odisha Government has banned the sale and use of firecrackers in the State from November 10 till November 30, 2020.

The decision has been taken to prevent bursting the firecrackers during the Diwali and Kartika Purnima.

Any person found violating this order shall be punished under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other relevant laws.

“It’s a well-known fact that burning of the firecrackers releases copious amounts of harmful chemicals, which have severe impact on the respiratory health of vulnerable groups and such pollutants can further aggravate health conditions of Covid-19 positive persons besides persons staying in home isolation,” said the order issued by the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC).

The Technical Expert Committee of the State Government has recommended for prohibition of burning of fire crackers to protect the vulnerable groups like elderly, children, persons with co-morbidities and others,” said the SRC.