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This Diwali, let’s go green
With firecracker sales touching the nadir due to rains, environmentalists and pet lovers feel that this is a great opportunity to promote an eco-friendly Diwali.
Hyderabad: With firecracker sales touching the nadir due to rains, environmentalists and pet lovers feel that this is a great opportunity to promote an eco-friendly Diwali.
According to traders, there has been a steady decline in sales of firecrackers for the last three to four years. Various factors are contributing to downward trend. “People are not as enthusiastic as they were in buying firecrackers. I am left with 30 per cent of stock from the last year. This was never the situation five years ago,” said Mohammed Asif, a stall owner in Jubilee Hills.
These days, even the film celebrities are campaigning against bursting firecrackers, and it has also affected the sales, he expressed.
This Diwali there is a 40 per cent dip in the number of stalls when compared to last year. According to Pollution Control Board (PCB), the pollution levels have been decreasing during Diwali.
On an average in 2015, air pollution a week prior to the festival was PM 111 (micrograms per cubic meter) and after Diwali was PM 241. Whereas in 2016, the pollution level after Diwali declined to PM 145.
“Though it is not in the permissible limits, which is PM 100 per 24 hours, the pollution level has seen a decrease during the festival,” said Veeranna, an official of PCB. Mizza Khaleel Baig, President of Telangana Crackers’ Association, said, “Stall owners are scared of purchasing firecrackers in bulk because of incessant rains. Last year there were around 50 stalls at Banjara Hills, but this year only 25 stalls sprang up.”
Speaking about eco-friendly Diwali, Swetcha Poladi, an environmentalist, said, “I have noticed that people have begun to opt for pollution-free Diwali. My family and relatives have been buying lesser number of firecrackers. Also, people should keep in mind that it is a festival of lights and not festival of firecrackers.”
Numerous pet lovers are also against bursting of firecrackers because dogs are petrified of extremely loud noise. Deepti K, owner of a Golden Retriever dog, said, “My dog is very sensitive to these sounds and every year during this festival he hides himself under the bed.
Locals should be considerate about animals before bursting firecrackers for hours, as there is a pet owner in almost every house in my locality.”
