Hyderabad: Even after a stern warning from the Greater Hyderabad municipal corporation (GHMC) on the sale, and use of firecrackers, no one seems to have cared. The situation was the same as each year, with buyers preferring regular firecrackers over the green options.
Green crackers were also hardly seen in the market. The GHMC had issued a notice on October 29, that only the sale of green crackers will be allowed. In the Attapur area for example, there are three big firecracker shops, and out of three only one shop has green crackers, that too in a very small proportion. The shopkeeper, said it was due to low demand.
Shiva Prasad, a buyer who came to buy crackers for his 10-year-old daughter said, “Diwali comes once a year and why is there a restriction on firecrackers? What about industrial pollution, and vehicle pollution?. Green crackers don’t have much noise or fire that is why I don’t prefer green crackers”.
Some other consumers at the firecracker shop said that they are also buying crackers because it is available in the market. “If the government wants to stop firecrackers, they should completely ban the production first,” pointed out another buyer who did not want to be named.
The owner of Madhav fireworks, Shankar Reddy, said “I’m selling firecrackers on the main road. Police van patrols at least two times here but they don’t stop me or take any action. I have permission from the police and fire officials. The authority might have said the firecrackers are prohibited but on the ground, the factory produces firecrackers, we sell, and the consumer buys it.”
The GHMC also said teams have been formed to identify shops and persons selling firecrackers. If anyone is found violating its order, then they will face a punishment or penalty. However, issuing such an order 4 days before Diwali is like applying a band aid on a deep cut. Activists have earlier also pointed out that the government should hold longer awareness campaigns and also provide more environment friendly options.
