Open House: What steps should be taken to ensure implementation of cracker ban window in letter & spirit?

The foremost step the law-enforcing agencies should take to implement the order in letter and spirit and to deploy only honest police officers to check crackers bursting on Diwali, Gurpurb and Christmas. The police officers deployed on duty for this purpose should be very strict to implement 2-hour window order. Huge fines should be imposed on defaulters. Awareness must be created among people of strict action this time if they violate scheduled 2-hour fixed timings for bursting crackers. More police officials should be deployed throughout cities for long night hours duty on these occasions.

Sanjay Chawla

Hold awareness, anti-cracker drives

The state government has issued a circular allowing bursting of crackers during Diwali, Gurpurb and Christmas for two hours, but the public will not follow this because most people are unaware of the bad consequences of bursting crackers at night. The state government should hold seminars to make people aware of the bad effects of bursting firecrackers at public places. The government direct its officials to restrict the bursting of crackers in this Diwali between 8pm and 10pm only. The state government should make teams to check people bursting crackers beyond the time limit. If they do not follow the guidelines set by the government, the teams should register cases against such people.

Sucha Singh Sagar

Ensure total ban on firecrackers

A few years ago, Delhi school students had taken the lead and announced that they would not explode firecrackers during Diwali or other festivals. The message went very well and there was a marked fall in the sale of firecrackers even in Amritsar. But I think on account of the political pressure from manufacturers at Sivakasi and the apprehended loss of jobs, the sale and use of crackers staged a gradual return. Bursting crackers increase heat, carbon dioxide and many toxic gases in the atmosphere, which causes a rise in the temperature of the earth and polluted air leading to global warming. Schools have been playing their role in sensitising boys and girls against this practice of bursting crackers, because Diwali is the festival of lights, not noise. The two-hour window provided to burst crackers, however, is a meaningless gimmick of the government, because much more pollution is added to the windless air by religious bodies even by their brief and ‘green’ fireworks. People need clean air to breathe and they are ready to cooperate. Paddy straw burning will end soon because there will be no straw left to burn. Clean air will have to be worked for. I think the ban on the sale and bursting of crackers should be complete and no exception should be allowed. In no other country of the world is such pollution allowed on any count.

Prof Mohan Singh

Strictly enforce two-hour window

The government and law enforcement agencies were expected to strictly enforce the two-hour window for bursting firecrackers on festival days, especially on Diwali, as per the previous year’s orders of the honourable Supreme Court. However, they failed to take adequate measures to check the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of non-green firecrackers in advance. All types of non-green firecrackers that create environmental pollution should have been strictly banned at the manufacturing point. Now it seems like the government is putting a cart in front of the calf. To ensure strict compliance with the time limit and safety norms, law enforcement agencies should adopt a carrot-and-stick policy. They should conduct raids and inspections on all the shops and stalls selling firecrackers without licenses or QR codes and seize the illegal or non-green crackers. Adequate police force and fire tenders should be deployed in particularly designated areas for bursting firecrackers, ensuring strict compliance with the time limit and safety norms. Awareness programmes should be conducted to educate the public, especially youngsters in schools and colleges, about the harmful effects of firecrackers on the environment and health. Celebrating festivals in a green and eco-friendly way should be encouraged. Heavy fines or penalties should be imposed on the violators of the firecracker ban and appropriate legal action should be taken against them. Moreover, air quality and noise levels in the state should be monitored before and after the festival, and appropriate measures should be taken to mitigate pollution if it exceeds permissible limits.

Dr Kulwant Singh Phull

Govt, people need to work in tandem

The festival season has begun. Most widely celebrated Diwali and Christmas are only a few days apart, when people from all walks of life move out with big enthusiasm to meet friends and relatives for exchange of pleasantries. Among good things to share ecstasy, however, a few bad practices like expensive fireworks and gambling are also prevalent. While rampant bursting of crackers on Diwali night sometimes causes big mishaps, aggravation of pollutants in air reaches peak high. Consequently, the environment gets hazy and the climate is so vitiated by smog and toxic chemicals that AQI worsens which affects substantially the health of humans, particularly of infants and the aged. Notably, a ban on bursting crackers allowing only low decibel fireworks is announced every year, but the extant guidelines are rarely adhered to. This year too, the authorities has set a limited period window of two hour for bursting crackers on Diwali. However, recalling the past observations, the bursting goes on till midnight, thereby the safeguards to save environment go haywire.

Evidently until total ban, it is an uphill task to stop crackers. To have an impeccable solution to this problem, the government should organise community laser-shows and arrange common display of green fireworks during these festivities. The cracker sellers as well as the manufacturers of harmful fireworks be forewarned to shut down while the violators be dealt sternly. Besides, NGOs and RWAs can exercise a significant role to sensitise the residents about the ill-effects of poisonous gases and chemical emissions emanating on bursting crackers. Indeed, it is a collective responsibility of all to protect environment for good health and safety of citizens than a merriment of few hours. The ban on harmful crackers must be enforced in letter and spirit, lest the restrictions will merely be a farce!

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Violators be dealt with iron hand

Diwali which was once supposed to be the festival of lights has now turned into the ‘festival of pollution’ due to unsupervised and seemingly infinite amount of bursting crackers damaging the air quality massively with air, land and noise pollution. Festivals such as Christmas, New Year, Gurpurab and Diwali have turned into an opportunity for many masses to show off their capabilities by buying and bursting a large number of crackers and somehow ignoring the fact that they are committing a punishable and unethical offence of slowly killing the earth they live in, with devastating effects. Every year, the government tries to prevent this, however, fails but now hopes are that the new administration can bring a change. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the Deputy Commissioner has recently announced the restricted timings for bursting crackers during different festivals. The timings have been fixed from 8 to 10 pm for Diwali, 4 to 5 am and 9 to 10 pm for Gurpurab, 11.55 pm to 12.20 am for Christmas and New Year, respectively. The decision is aimed at ensuring that the festivities are carried out in a safe and eco-friendly manner. The allotted timings will help in reducing noise pollution and minimising the risk of accidents caused by the uncontrolled and untimely bursting of crackers. This step is expected to promote responsible and sustainable celebrations across the region. To implement this order in letter and spirit, law enforcement agencies should arrest and heavily fine the offenders. The residents should be aware of the health consequences of the polluted air and if still found and caught bursting illegal crackers or burning any form of fireworks before or after the stipulated two-hour window, they deserve a strict punishment. The goal is that this Diwali should bring home happiness not disease. Using firecrackers increase the amount of dust and pollutants in the air. These substances contain chemicals such as sulphur, zinc, copper, and sodium. When firecrackers are set off, the dust and pollutants settle in exposed areas, which can harm the environment and endanger our health. The environmentalists, social activists and animal lovers should take responsibility for making the masses aware of the hazards of air pollution which include, global warming, noise pollution, fire accidents and heavy danger for asthmatic patients, etc. If the masses continue to disregard rules, strict action is necessary. Vendors who sell crackers past time should have their licence cancelled and confiscated permanently and hefty fines should be imposed. One must uphold the values of environmental consciousness, even while indulging in festivities.

Lakshit Jindal

Light diyas on Diwali

The district administration has issued the circular of bursting crackers between 8 to 10 pm. Every year similar ban is imposed but never implemented. The whole night loud noise of bursting crackers disturbs residents and air quality drops miserably. No police party is there to stop people from bursting crackers. Diwali is festival of light and not sound. No where it is written to burst crackers. Just think about the condition of the people working in cracker manufacturing units. The scene is more disturbing the next morning of Diwali. Paper disposals of crackers are scattered all over and give an unpleasant look. It’s a severe wastage of money. No joy is gained by bursting dangerous crackers. Understand the problem of those who are aesthetician. Awareness campaign for eco-friendly Diwali at all important places like bus stand, railway stations, and in all malls should be there. Light diyas on Diwali, eat sweets and spread awareness.

Shashi Kiran

Establish centralised city-wise control rooms

Amid the ongoing festival season and the diverse religious celebrations, people, inter alia, resort to bursting crackers and fireworks which harm further our already polluted environment. The government is welcome to put in place a mechanism of regulating timings of fireworks to maintain a balance between social celebrations and protecting environment. But unfortunately, the people, on every occasion, fail to obey the instructions and maintain anticipated administrative decorum. However, strict enforcement of rules is equally vital for achievement of any noble purpose. In this direction, the government must establish centralised city-wise control rooms and intensified patrolling to check, monitor and book the guilty. Also help from mohalla committees and residents welfare societies for maintaining check on violations can be synthesised. Help from NGOs engaged in protecting environment and educational institutions for making the public awakening and the students fully aware of the situation can be streamlined along with awareness campaigns to be launched by the government through various social and electronic media well in advance. Most importantly, the guilty must be punished for maintaining future deterrence under such circumstances.

Jagdish Chander

QUESTION

With a spike in stubble burning cases, the air quality in the city has deteriorated further. What steps should be taken to curb such incidents in future to save the environment and protect the fertility of the soil.

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (November 9)