CHENNAI: Pointing out that any ban on production, sale and use of fireworks will adversely affect the sentiments of the people of the country, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Union Environment Ministry to amend the rules concerned to exempt fireworks manufacturing industry from various provisions of Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 to save the livelihood of eight lakh families dependent on that industry in Tamil Nadu.
“I urge you to direct the Union Ministry to carry out necessary amendment to Rule 3 (b) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 and exempt the fireworks manufacturing industry from various provisions of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, thereby saving the livelihood of eight lakh families dependent on fireworks industry,” he said in his letter to the Prime Minister.
The chief minister said manufacturers of fireworks in Tamil Nadu were using safe and environment-friendly products and there were no recorded long term effects on the environment.Observing that the fireworks industry in Tamil Nadu was facing a major setback due to filing of public interest litigations by a few NGOs and individuals before the Supreme Court to ban manufacture, sale and use of fireworks in any form, Palaniswami said the manufacturers of fireworks had suffered very severe financial losses.
Even though the ban was subsequently lifted by the SC, a few more PILs had been filed before the apex court and the same had been admitted. This had created fear and uncertainty in the minds of firework manufacturers leading to disruption of production.