Diwali 2024: Mumbai Police bans sale, flying of sky lanterns for a month starting October 23

Ahead of Diwali, the Mumbai police have banned the sale and flying of sky lanterns as part of safety and security measures, PTI quoted an official as saying on Tuesday.

The police have issued prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, keeping the ban in place for a month from October 23 to November 21.

According to the order, the sale, storage and flying of sky lanterns is prohibited, considering the safety and security of the public to prevent activities of anti-social elements, said the official.

Mumbai Police in its preventive order said, as quoted by Mid-Day, "Reports have been received that due to the situation prevailing in the areas under the jurisdiction of Mumbai Police, it is noticed that use, sale and storage of lanterns and flying them between October 23, 2024 to November 24, 2023 in the Mumbai Police jurisdiction may cause grave danger to human life, safety and injury to public property."

It further said, “It is necessary that some checks should be put on flying lanterns activities, use, sale and storage of them in the Mumbai Police Commissionerate, to prevent the activities of antisocial elements through such type of lanterns during the said period in Mumbai and that immediate action is necessary to prevention of the same.”

The report mentioned that the order was issued by Akbar Pathan, DCP (Operations), Mumbai Police.

An official said, "It is a routine preventive order that is reviewed and issued every 30 days."

Earlier in January 2015, flying sky lanterns had purportedly started a fire in a 36-storey under-construction building in Malad East, that prompted the then Mumbai fire chief, P Rahangdale, to request police to ban such lanterns.

Another order:

In another order, the Mumbai Police on Saturday banned prohibiting fireworks in areas close to oil and fuel companies in the city.

The order says, as Mid-Day quoted, “No person shall let off or throw any fire crackers/firework or send up any rocket upon any place within a distance of 500 meters beyond the buffer zones of bottling plant and the following areas of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.”

The order is applicable in these areas:

1. Outside perimeter area of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Lid., and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Refinery.

2. Mahul Terminal Area.

3. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Plant Area

4. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Plant Area.

5. Behind 15 and 50 acres area up to Special Oil Refinery.

With agency inputs.