FIRECRACKER BAN: SELLERS AND RESIDENTS OF DELHI-NCR RUE CRACKER-LESS FESTIVITIES
Residents of Delhi-NCR feel blanket ban is no solution, while shopkeepers foresee tough times ahead
Jisko nahi lene hain patake, woh waise bhi nahi lega. Baaki log teen chaar patake jala bhi lein toh kya hi hoga!
TARUN SEHGAL, Shopkeeper from Sadar Bazaar
Pollution levels in the Capital skyrocket every year after Diwali, and then make way for smog. Citing this alarming phenomenon, the Delhi government recently imposed a ban on storing, selling and bursting crackers in the city. But, this decision isn’t going down well with sellers or denizens who had planned to burst firecrackers during the festival.
“Banning crackers is not the solution,” asserts Ruchira Singh, based in Ashok Vihar. “Every citizen should feel accountable for the environment and the decision to burst crackers should be their own. Also, there are a lot of factors that cause pollution, apart from crackers. Those factors should be looked into,” adds this IT professional.
A few Delhiites are in no mood to have a cracker-less Diwali, just to comply with the ban. “Delhi mein allowed nahi hai toh kya hua, Gurugram mein toh hai,” says Neha Mathur, a personality development coach who lives in Preet Vihar. “I have friends there, I can always celebrate with them. I’ll make a plan as we would like to burst some crackers for sure,” she adds.
Even those who used to sell firecrackers are in a state of shock since the ban was announced, and anticipate tough months ahead. “Corona ki wajah se vaise hi itna nuksaan hua hai. Iss bari hum green crackers laye the, jinse zyada pollution nahi hota. Par ab woh bhi mana kar diye hain. Hum karza leke kaam kar rahe hain; ab kahan
We’re conscious and buy only green crackers. Not bursting any crackers on Diwali feels like an unnecessary compulsion.
NEHA MATHUR, Resident of Preet Vihar
jayein,” rues Tarun Sehgal, from Central Fireworks in Sadar Bazaar.
One may think early announcement of the ban would help save the traders from incurring losses due to unsold stock. But that’s not the case as most of them had already bought firecrackers, anticipating the bookings they get for Dussehra. “Humne pehle hi maal le liya hai. Paisa kamana kya, ab toh yeh samajh nahi aa raha hai ki jo saaman liya hai, uske paise kaise denge. Log toh Dussehra ke pehle se patakhe khareedna shuru kar dete hain. Last time, yeh rule ki hum patakhe nahi bech sakte, yeh baad mein aaya tha. Tab tak humne kaafi bech diye the. Par iss time pata nai kya hoga. Dukaan bhari hui hai aur bandh rahegi, kyunki humein koi aur kaam nahi aata,” says Manoj Goyal from Durga Fireworks, Shahdara.