Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered district administrations to stop the use of carbide guns and carbide lamps during the festive season, following incidents in which hundreds of people, including children, suffered eye injuries during last Diwali. District collectors and superintendents of police will be held responsible for untoward incidents in their jurisdictions, according to the directive reported by Times of India.
Yadav issued the order during a video-conferenced review meeting with collectors, divisional commissioners, superintendents of police and inspector generals from the state secretariat. He directed officials to ensure that carbide guns and lamps are not used during festivals and described the locally manufactured devices as extremely dangerous.
Carbide guns use calcium carbide, which releases highly inflammable acetylene gas when it comes into contact with water. The gas can explode when exposed to a spark. The resulting blast can propel plastic and metal fragments, causing serious injuries to the eyes, face and skin. The incidents during the previous Diwali raised concerns about the sale and use of these devices, after which the state health department issued a safety advisory in 2025.
The chief minister also instructed district administrations to intensify action against illegal firecracker sales and strengthen emergency arrangements at festivals and religious gatherings. Fire tenders, firefighting equipment and trained personnel are to be deployed at sensitive locations, while ambulances are to be stationed at key points for faster emergency response.
The directions place responsibility for festival safety across the district administration, police and emergency-response system. The order covers both prevention and response: officials must curb access to hazardous devices and illegal firecrackers while ensuring that fire and medical services are available where large gatherings are expected. The source report did not specify the number of districts covered by the carbide-gun enforcement directive or identify a separate implementation deadline.
Yadav also ordered intensified inspections to prevent the sale of adulterated or counterfeit food products during the festive season, particularly mawa, ghee, paneer and sweets. Officials told him that 17 licences had been suspended and that first information reports had been registered in 42 food-adulteration cases.
The review meeting also covered public grievances and rainfall conditions. Yadav said he would make surprise visits to districts to review the Jan Vishwas Abhiyan and the disposal of complaints pending on the CM Helpline. Officials reported that Madhya Pradesh had received 908.4 mm of rainfall against a normal 949 mm, a shortfall of around 4%, while 12 districts had deficient rainfall and 34 districts recorded normal rainfall. The administration’s next steps are to enforce the restrictions, inspect festival-related sales and maintain emergency arrangements at sensitive locations.
