The need of the festive hour
To curb the air pollution spike during the festive season, the Supreme Court recently made the sale of ‘green’ fireworks mandatory. The court has also set a twohour window (8pm10pm) for bursting crackers this Diwali. We speak to celebrities who hail the
DIVYA DUTTA
“This is a great initiative. When such decisions become mandatory, it will gradually become a habit as well, and a good one at that! We’re fighting major challenges regarding pollution, and this will help. We always think it isn’t our business, [but we] don’t realise that every person’s action matters. So, it’d be great to become disciplined. This can be our way of doing something to keep the air worth breathing for future generations.”
PANKAJ TRIPATHI
“The intention behind the SC decision is to reduce pollution. Many people have health issues, owing to noise and air pollution. We’re completely unaware of the effects of sound pollution. We keep honking on the roads, not to forget the noise pollution from bursting crackers. The idea isn’t to put a dampener on festivities but to respect nature and our own health.”
KUBBRA SAIT
“The rate at which we’re polluting the environment, and making the air we breathe toxic, I think people should take a personal responsibility of not burning crackers. If there’s something that falls into the category of green and improved fireworks, then each city’s central location should burst crackers as a spectacle for the city. That way, we meet half way.”
APARSHAKTI KHURANA
“I think it’s a great move by the SC, considering the pollution level. It was important to bring about a change, and I think the new green and improved fire crackers will be just the right change. It was imperative to limit the time of bursting crackers, too. What concerns me about crackers is the hazardous child labour involved in the process, as a cracker is, after all, a cracker!”
RADHIKA MADAN
“Noise and air pollution are big problems in our country. Using green and improved fireworks is a progressive step towards the betterment of our society and the environment, too. Nevertheless, I feel, we should aim at celebrating Diwali without [any] fireworks, which will lead to the safety of everyone, including the animals.”