Kerala seeks to relax new firework regulations

Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, stated that the state will push the central government to relax tough new rules regarding fireworks. He noted that these amended Explosive Rules create challenges for conducting traditional festivals due to spatial limitations at religious sites. The Chief Minister mentioned that the state won't create new laws to override these changes. Instead, it has already contacted Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to express its concerns about the new regulations. Vijayan highlighted that many elements of these rules are impractical, especially the requirement for safety distances between firework magazines and display sites. For example, firework storage must be 200 meters from display areas, which is seen as excessive. This restrictiveness extends to the assembly area for fireworks, which has its own distance requirements from the storage and display sites. Additionally, the rules ban the use of iron or steel tools, complicating traditional firing methods. Despite these challenges, the state has prepared extensively for the upcoming Thrissur Pooram festival. Review meetings involving local police and various departments are underway to ensure the event runs smoothly.