State Govt says ‘Fireworks ONLY between 8 pm & 10 pm’-But Who’ll Check it & Who’ll Stop It?

State Govt says ‘Fireworks ONLY between 8 pm & 10 pm’-But Who’ll Check it & Who’ll Stop It?

State Govt says ‘Fireworks ONLY between 8 pm & 10 pm’-But Who’ll Check it & Who’ll Stop It? Do you think our Cops will bother to check on the said timings and stop it? I DON’T THINK SO! But let’s see, how things will work out this year.

Mangaluru : Following the Supreme Court order which restricted the timing of bursting crackers to 2 hours anytime of the day , but the Karnataka government said that crackers can only be burst between 8 pm and 10 pm from November 5 to November 8. In a circular dated November 2, the state government also banned the manufacture and sale of ladis. “Owing to noise pollution, air pollution and the pollution caused by the remains of the crackers after they have exploded, the state government is prohibiting the manufacture and sale of series crackers or ladis,” the circular said. District administration officials have been asked to carry out awareness programs about the ill effects of firecrackers in schools and colleges. “The state pollution control board will inquire about anyone bursting crackers 7 days before and after Deepavali,” the circular said. Furthermore, it has directed officials to keep an eye out for those who do not follow the orders of the top court. “All municipal corporations, district administrations, Zilla panchayats and gram panchayats will keep an eye on anyone people who burst crackers as a part of a community-organised event. The police personnel must ensure that the court order is followed and must take action against violators. Police should also ensure that banned firecrackers are not sold,” it said.

On October 23, in an attempt to rein in the pollution caused by the crackers, the Supreme Court had permitted the bursting of firecrackers between 8 and 10 pm for Deepavali across the country. The order by the SC comes after a PIL had sought a ban on the manufacture and sale of firecrackers in the country. While initially, people could only burst crackers between 8-10 pm, the apex court modified its order after Tamil Nadu went to the Supreme Court and stated that states should be able to choose any two hours.

In an effort to curb the effects of pollution, the apex court not only set this time limit, but also stated that only firecrackers of the ‘green’ or eco-friendly variety could be sold during this year’s festive season. However, there are concerns being expressed about the order and there are talks of seeking a review of the court order in this matter. This is largely on the grounds that different regions follow different cultural practices and at different times, especially during religious festivals. The recent Supreme Court order talks about restricting the window of time available for bursting fire crackers. It says, “On Diwali days or on any other festivals, when such fireworks generally take place, it would strictly be from 8:00 p.m. till 10:00 p.m. only. On Christmas and New Year eve, when such fireworks start around midnight, i.e. 12:00 a.m., it would be from 11:55 p.m. till 12:30 a.m. only. So when it comes to religion, these laws don’t work at all.

Laws should be the same for everyone, irrespective of religion, caste or creed. Why can’t Christmas be celebrated without bursting firecrackers? Jesus Christ never told his flock to display fireworks to celebrate His birthday. It was some rich Christians who started this crazy tradition of bursting firecrackers, and it became a regular tradition after that. Even, display of fireworks during Catholic weddings need to be stopped-why all this show off and drama, when it creates pollution. Churches and wedding halls should strictly ban fireworks during the wedding celebrations. Just because you have some extra moolah, don’t burn it on fireworks, instead donate it to the poor, as the Bible says , “Give to the Needy”.

Restrictions on bursting firecrackers is not new, because there have been awareness on the ill-effect of fireworks, and also creating pollution- and Karnataka State Pollution Board always instruct people to follow the guidelines. But does anyone follow their guidelines or does the law enforcement authorities take action on law breakers? Absolutely NO! The cops will be standing in the corner while the fireworks go on pass the deadline- and when there are politicians sitting on the dais during the fireworks display, then it can go until the wee hours, even if there are a bunch of hospitals nearby, for example near Kadri-Mallikatta during certain celebrations. Oh well- I don’t think SC’s or State’s 8-10 pm time slot for bursting crackers may work positively.