LUCKNOW, Oct. 11 -- The director general of police (DGP), Rajeev Krishna, has issued strict directives to crack down on the sale, purchase, manufacture, and storage of crackers and its raw materials across the state, senior police officials confirmed here on Saturday.

The directive comes as a precautionary measure to prevent any potential accidents and ensure public safety during the upcoming festive season, and in the wake of recent devastating blasts in Lucknow, Kanpur, and Ayodhya.

The DGP stated that he has instructed all police commissioners and superintendents of police to conduct thorough inspections of shops and storage units suspected of selling or storing firecrackers without proper license and safety arrangements. He said the...