Sikkim Govt places 'complete ban' on firecrackers amid COVID-19 pandemic

Gangtok: In the wake of the crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Sikkim government has banned the bursting of firecrackers during the festive season in the state. This order will be in effect until further intimations, the State Government clarified.

This decision has been taken as "bursting of fire crackers may prove hazardous for recovered as well as active COVID-19 patients."

In a release issued on November 4, theChief Secretary of the state, S.C Gupta, informed that the State Executive committee has directed the complete ban of bursting of crackers in the state untill further notice.

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Gupta further said that the District Megistrates and Superintendents of Police shall be responsible for taking necessary action to ensure compliance of the order.

A day after the National Green Tribunal issued notice to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to ban the use of fire crackers from November 7-30 in the interest of public health and environment, a number of states have issued order in this regard. The Himalayan state of Sikkim has also joined the list.

Starting from Rajasthan and Odisha to Bengal and Haryana to now Sikkim -- these states have made it mandatory to ban the use of fire crackers, keeping in mind the pollution and coronavirus pandemic in mind.

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