More noise than light
On the evening of Deepavali, the bursting of crackers went well beyond the restricted time as the sound (read noise) could be heard for long. This also resulted in accumulated smoke entering almost every dwelling/building, affecting children and the elderly. Going by the noise level, one wondered whether ‘green crackers’ alone were set off. It is not as though there is no way out. Licences must be refused for halls to permit vendors to put up temporary stalls. All shops must display the licences granted to them. The government authorities must be given a list of shops to which licences have been issued. Unless such drastic measures are taken, there is no way to enforce the rules.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
Thanks to the nonstop bursting of firecrackers almost everywhere, Chennai city was under a blanket of smog for the most part of Deepavali day. There was a huge amount of firecracker waste. The timings stipulated were hardly followed. Apart from the plight of the sick and the elderly, what was pathetic was the way pets reacted to the deafening noise. Several people experienced bouts of severe coughing and itchy eyes.
V. Johan Dhanakumar,
Chennai
The judiciary’s red line regarding Deepavali celebrations was hardly followed. It is time steps are taken to stop the manufacture of crackers. The mess on the roads showed our scant regard for our surroundings.
Purabi Pathak Barua,
Guwahati
Deepavali means the festival of lights. But in the south, it was practically a festival of sounds. Lamps were hardly seen in houses. Instead, there was pollution and deafening sounds which frightened even the animal kingdom. I suggest we switch to the lighting of diyas and shun crackers in the interest of the environment. The sick and the elderly face a difficult time because of the incessant noise.
V.K. Gopalan,
Tiruchi
This year too, there was hardly any change, with rules being flouted. It was upsetting to have crackers, especially the ‘bombs’, being set off even at 10 p.m. and after, disturbing the sleep of senior citizens. A spark from a firecracker is said to have caused a fire in a temple in the heart of Chennai. Having a time limit is no solution unless there is strict vigilance and severe punishment.
N. Mahadevan,
Chennai
