SIVAKASI WEATHER
Kejriwal urges Centre to ban Chinese firecrackers

05-10-2015
5th October 2015

- Deccan Herald

Kejriwal urges Centre to ban Chinese firecrackers

Claiming gains from last year’s curbs on Chinese crackers during the Diwali festival, the Delhi government has approached the Centre to once again put restrictions on the “polluting” fireworks from the neighbouring country.

Cost of potassium chlorate, the raw material used in Chinese crackers, is only Rs 50 per kg as compared to the aluminium powder used in Indian crackers, which costs Rs 300 a kg, said a cracker dealer in Sadar Bazar on Sunday.

However, the traders who deal in Indian fireworks fear that the Chinese variants might get smuggled in despite the central government’s restrictions.

After China, India is the second largest producer of firecrackers in the world. The Indian cracker industry is worth Rs 3,000 crore and Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu alone caters to 80 per cent demand of the domestic demand.

The Delhi government’s letter to the Central government’s Customs Department urged for the continuation of the ban on the harmful crackers from China.

“Chinese fireworks are cheap, but are harmful to our environment,” said an official.

The Arvind Kejriwal government is also planning to put out advertisements calling public to give up the use of Chinese crackers.


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