Diwali is a festival of lights and has its own significance. Somewhere along the way noise has overtaken lights. Crackers have given way to so-called ‘atom bombs’ of extremely high decibels, thereby making the lives of many others difficult. This season is particularly troubling for people with respiratory illnesses. Lung infections and respiratory disorders like asthma and wheezing often get severe during Diwali. For patients with weak hearts the loud noise increases blood pressure and aggravates heart disease. But the elderly and infants also find it equally disturbing. Shillong is becoming a city of residential apartments where over 100 residents occupy a rather congested area. If each of the 100 residents decide to expend all their fire power at around the same hours in the evening, think of the noise pollution in that area.
For the last three days all kinds of crackers have been let loose; the noisier ones we are told also cost the most. It’s not the poor who can burst crackers but the affluent and the VIPs (read politicians and bureaucrats) who are gifted loads of sweets and crackers. Shillong already listed high on the pollution list due to the burgeoning vehicle population. It would be interesting to do a study on the pollution index in the three days leading up to Diwali. But apart from the health factor burning of crackers and fireworks also leads to accidents and burns. All of us breathe the toxic air that is let out into the atmosphere. The smoke from fireworks irritates the eyes causing tears and redness. Sometimes the sound makes the ears go numb and can also cause deafness. Toxic smoke that is released by tonnes of fireworks causes breathing discomfort across the board.
Recent studies have proved that the poisonous gas can also affect pregnant women adversely. It may also affect mentally ill patients leading to depression, fear and stress. All these repercussions of noise should have alerted the citizens to a more judicious celebration of Diwali. All festivals are good and should be observed with equal fervour especially in a cosmopolitan city like Shillong. But while we do so let us spare a thought for many others who suffer on account of our unrestrained and infantile mode of celebration. The District Administration has given a call to all citizens to refrain from creating noise pollution. But as we can see that call has had little effect. A government ban can only be effective if it is accompanied by social action from a conscious citizenry.