It is going to be a silent Diwali thanks to a ban on firecrackers brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The BMC has announced that it will ban bursting and lighting of firecrackers at public places during the upcoming festival.

The ban, experts say, is also because of relatively cooler weather that has set in and which may lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Europe is amid a second wave, and several countries have enforced another lockdown as cases have spiralled in winter, proving there is something to be said for the theory that cooler weather may have something to do with a higher number of cases.