Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said that the city police have formed special teams, headed by assistant commissioners of police (ACP) to keep a strict vigil on the sale of firecrackers within the city limits to curb the illegal sale of firecrackers.
Parameshwara told reporters that the special teams consist of officials from the Pollution Control Board and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). “They will fan out in the city and take stringent action against those hoarding polluting crackers.”
He added that the government has allowed citizens to burst green crackers but unfortunately, several people are procuring polluting firecrackers from the neighbouring Hosur in Tamil Nadu.
“After the death of 17 people due to a fire accident in an Attibele firecracker godown, the government has thought of banning the bursting of crackers completely. But keeping the festival sensitivities in mind, the government allowed the bursting green firecrackers. But still, the citizens are violating the government’s rules,” he lamented.
Underscoring the increasing pollution due to firecrackers, the home minister said that Bengaluru is known for its climate and everyone should strive hard to protect the city’s climate. “We can’t afford to pollute the city like New Delhi has earned its disrepute during festivals. Firecrackers not only pollute the climate but have an adverse impact on patients too. So, we need to be more sensitive towards these issues instead of adamantly bursting polluting crackers,” he said.
(Published 13 November 2023, 22:10 IST)