Chennai: Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday requested his Rajasthan and Odisha counterparts to revoke the ban on sale and use of firecrackers in their respective states, considering its impact on about eight lakh workers in Tamil Nadu, the national fireworks hub.
In identical letters to Ashok Gehlot and Naveen Patnaik, chief ministers of Rajasthan and Odisha respectively, he pointed to the ban imposed in both the states over pollution concerns in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
About 90 per cent of the total cracker manufacture in the country is from Tamil Nadu which provided direct and indirect employment to about eight lakh people, Palaniswami noted.
"Their livelihood solely depends on the sale of crackers during Diwali season. The ban on bursting crackers in your state can have a direct bearing on the livelihood of over eight lakh workers in Tamil Nadu and an equal number of people engaged in its sale," he said.
Tamil Nadu used raw materials with reduced emission level and produced low decibel firecrackers, he pointed out.