By Jeannette Street
The heart of a city is a vibrant and happy place, when the festival of lights occurs, once a year. The lighting up of a Chinese-cracker or a rocket patakha is traditional. A night sky lit up in large, water-fall-esque fireworks is beautiful to look at and is part of the Diwali celebrations, enjoyed by nearly all, regardless of creed. But times have changed.
In a New Indian Express article, dated 7th Nov, in a pre-Diwali message released through newspaper advertisements, New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal advised people against bursting of fireworks and crackers. ‘On this occasion of happiness, I want to make an appeal. Our Delhi is struggling with an acute problem of air pollution, which assumes dangerous proportions on Diwali due to bursting of fireworks and crackers,’ Kejriwal said.”
This is not the first time that State governments have put out public interest messages either, about not using fireworks, to celebrate Diwali or to reduce the use of crackers which cause large scale pollution. Yet very few, so far, have actually listened to their government’s words and not bought the fireworks. With our recent Diwali celebrations, it is apparent, that the majority of us simply did not hear the message. We were told not to … but did.
As a child, preparing for Diwali night, entailed dressing up in a rugged pair of jeans, gumboots and a jacket; to protect ourselves from the night air and also from the very fireworks, themselves! The lighting of a rocket firework, turned out to be a rather dangerous, health and safety hazard. Many times a rocket, which you pointed dutifully, up to the sky, (as instructed) didn’t take off towards the night sky… Instead it would somehow turn and take-off aiming at you, or the people, you happened to be “celebrating” Diwali with. As it hissed into your space, you had to jump out of the way and many a time, sustained minor flesh burns. Hence, the parents’ persuasive desire for us to wear heavy clothing to minimise the exposure to the “dangerous things!”
Undeniably, we love looking at fireworks and that is perhaps, the point here. We love looking atfireworks lit up in the sky, because they symbolise, what we hold light and good, celebratory and auspicious. Yet, who is it that suggests an aloo bomb patakha is a jovial way for me to symbolise light over dark…? When the very firework gives off no light, per se, just a dark sound…!
And something has changed for the worse. This aloo bomb patakha gives off a louder bang that can only be described as an “ear-popping, decibel-deafening and body-cringing, explosive sound” which is horrific and distressing to many, especially the elderly, children and pets. A dangerous incident took place on Diwali, when a friend was encouraged, to light their first aloo bomb patakha. This dreadful firework, in the short time it took to light its fuse and throw it, blew up in the friend’s hand…they had to go to hospital for treatment. Imagine, this is what we have – light a firework and count your lucky stars that your fingers didn’t get blown up in the process! Surely, this is more than bargained for!
Perhaps this lack of quality control is specific to fireworks; so let us take a cursory glance at some other products in our markets. For example, the Nestle India Maggie noodles saga, or the on-going Volkswagen diesel car, emissions scam? (The cost to the latter to rectify their lies is around $90 Billion). Sadly, for India, according to an article in The Indian Express (29 Oct, 2015) “based on initial reactions by Automotive Research Association of India executives, … Volkswagen India might not be found culpable as the emission norms in India are lower than that in the US…”.
We are not alone in celebrating Diwali. In Johannesburg, South Africa, an article, from Eye Witness News for this Diwali reads – “urged (its) residents to take caution and to comply with the city’s fireworks by-law when celebrating Diwali this evening. Fireworks are expected to be lit between 7-10 pm. This is very civilized. Coming back to Shillong, something very offensive we had to endure during Diwali, was the fireworks continuing up to 3 a.m. This is unacceptable. Where was the State Pollution Control Board?
Even more offensive and the first thing to greet our ears the next morning, were the bomb patakhas going off, once again! And so we were plagued with bomb explosions, incessantly, for three, painful days and nights. Again, the question, must be asked, where was the State’s Pollution Control Board?
After the horrifying serial bombings in Paris, the day before Children’s Day and during Diwali “celebrations” – there is no city dweller, anywhere that wishes to hear a bomb sound going off. Perhaps the time has come for the bomb firework, to be a thing of the past.
In retrospect, State governments did try to spread the word for a fireworks free Diwali, yet failed in their objectives. They should have told us not to buy fireworks and then they should have followed their statement through – and seen to it that fireworks were not sold in the shops. Perhaps, a way forward is to legislate for the type and specification of fireworks that can be manufactured..
Coming back to Arvind Kejriwal’s earlier message to Delhi, from an article on Livemint.com on November 13, air pollution across Delhi … a day after Diwali, was categorized as “severe”, with nearly six times the average levels of deadly toxins.” The word – “deadly” and this deadly fact requires serious re-thinking in our ways. We are strangling the very air, we need to breathe and one day, our continued strangling will kill the air.
No one wants to spoil the fun…but we have to look at where we are. The environmental damage we cause to our sacred oxygen … during Diwali, especially in the case of Delhi, is getting to the tipping point … and precious Time is running out…to correct it.
Yet, it is not Diwali that should be singled out. We may look to other incorrect practices that we as a State unacceptably endure – the burning of garbage outdoors every day of the year. Whether it is someone burning in their back garden, staff burning garbage on government premises, or a farmer burning a hill-side, in the name of jhum farming – these practices should be put behind us, as they pollute the precious air we need to breathe …every day of the year. Where is the State Pollution Control Board? Did they audit the pollution levels on Diwali? We have a right to know!
Over a week has passed since Diwali yet, shockingly, someone has just set off a big, bomb patakha, as I write this.
In conclusion, the point that sticks out the most, is the irony of this scenario. How is it, that the very air our lungs need to breathe, is the very same air, we choke, strangle AND burn? Yet in one instance, we say, we are “celebrating” prosperity…? And hark!! What about our ears!!!