Tweet
Though the pollution level shot up on Diwali night but on the whole the celebrations were on a much subdued note with more people concentrating on decorating their homes with diyas and fancy lights and rangolis, then on bursting crackers, writes Gurpreet H Upadhyay
A day after Diwali, the level of pollutants in the air reportedly shot up on Thursday due to excessive use of fireworks. Ragpickers and workers of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) said they were yet to ascertain the number of crackers used by the residual garbage and compared to the previous year lesser number of crackers were burst this Diwali.
It was observed that air pollution increased after 7 pm on Thursday. Everywhere the smoke caused by crackers was creating pollution. However, it was observed that the craze for crackers was decreasing day by day. Now the people were not taking that much interest in bursting firecrackers. Air pollution may be the major reason behind it.
The ban imposed by the district administration this year not to sell crude bombs with noise more than 125 decibel, also played an important role in the decrease in pollution particularly in Bhopal.
Earlier many people of the State capital used to burst lot of firecrackers as it was a major part of their enjoyment. But they slowly stopped as it used to create problems for people of all age groups.
Despite the increase in pollution level, BMC employees believe that this year people burst less crackers as compared to the last year. The impact of the bombs and heavy noise was less on Wednesday night, they added.
Due to fireworks, toxins and harmful compounds like sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, manganese, cadmium are released in the air and can cause adverse impact on lungs, causing numerous respiratory ailments. Many people suffering from respiratory disorders faced a major problem on Diwali night.
The increase in pollutant levels also causes symptoms like eye burns, running nose, skin allergy and skin rashes. Some people whose skin is very sensitive faced a problem of skin allergy and rashes. Fireworks should be burst with complete care and cautiousness. One must take care of their health while bursting crackers.
Earlier, almost all political leaders including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had appealed to children to avoid use of firecrackers and instead make Diwali bright and colourful with 'diyas' and 'rangoli'.
The leaders had urged the citizens to overcome darkness that is not only in and around our houses, but also in the form of evil practices, flashy lifestyle, cultural pollution and all sorts of misconduct.
They said that one should not only worship lamps on the Festival of Lights, but also take resolve to widely spread the light.
Many people of the city are fond of showing creativity and prepare new things for the festival. A fashion designing student Nupur Sharma said, "For me, Diwali means a lot of fun, making Diwali dishes with my mom, greeting friends and family. Making rangoli is my hobby on the festival. I made two rangolis on the day and everyone appreciated it.
I am fond of designing new Rangoli every year and this year also I tried to draw a new rangoli with pretty colours. I think everyone should pass a message of spreading colours of happiness during the festival."
Although the festival of Diwali is celebrated with tradition and custom in the State capital by the lighting of candles, electric lights and fireworks, but the people are getting irritated with the increasing pollution.
Air and noise pollution are the major hurdles for enjoyment of the festival. Many people dislike the noise and smoke caused by crackers.
Every year new decorative items get launched in the market and they are so attractive that people drag themselves to buy them in order to give a new look to their home. This year also people celebrated the festival with lot of decoration at their homes, by making Diwali dishes and wearing new clothes.
A great enthusiasm was found among the people of city on Diwali day. Many people got up early in the morning, washed their home, prepared diyas and other material for Laxmi puja. Also, huge crowd was observed at sweet shops during the day. Children were also very enthusiastic for celebrating Diwali night with lot of crackers.
The Pioneer spoke to a number of people from the State capital on how they had celebrated the festival.
MBA student Nidhi Parashar said, "We had lot of fun on Diwali. It is the most awaited festival of the year. I always enjoy this festival with my family and my best friend Shruti. We both are best friends and neighbors as well. Since childhood, we have enjoyed all festivals together.
After performing Laxmi puja at home we both went out and met our colony friends and also enjoyed sweets and snacks at their homes."
A resident of the city Soumya Shukla who is working at HCL in Noida said, "Diwali is one of those festivals for which everyone waits a lot. I stay in Noida and miss my family on every occasion. As my parents wanted to celebrate the festival with me and my sister I came to my hometown for a few days. My mother cooked delicious dishes especially for me. I enjoyed the festival with my family and close friends."
Diwali has its own significance for those living abroad. Many residents of the city who are settled in the US, Dubai and other countries miss their home at this time of the year Those people who could not came to their home for the festival took help of video chat and conferencing to get connected with their families. Some people from the city informed that their dear ones who are settled abroad also follow their custom there.
A housewife Monita Sitoke said, "My husband is in Dubai and I with my twin kids miss him especially on the day. Our children called him on the day and spoke for one hour at least. He also missed his family on Diwali but he himself performed 'puja' there in order to mark the celebration."
Many couples celebrated their first Diwali this year. For those it was a great experience. They enjoyed their festival with the family and sought the blessings of the Goddess for wealth, happiness and prosperity.
A newly married woman Deeksha said, "It was our first Diwali after wedding and we enjoyed it with family. We both bought gifts for our family members and participated in performing all customs on the day. My mother-in-law helped me in performing 'puja' during the day. After the puja, we greeted our relatives and had lot of fun."
Gambling
Since, in sections of the society, gambling is not considered a social evil on the night of Diwali, many people were engaged in gambling during Diwali. Some consider this as a way of bringing good luck for the coming year and in remembrance of the games of dice played by Lord Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailasa or between Radha and Krishna. In honour of Lakshmi, the female player always wins during Diwali.
This year also, many people were observed gambling on the festival. Some men left in the noon time to play the game whereas their wives did not like it. Women wanted their husbands to help in some work in order to celebrate the festival together. But some men were so crazy for gambling on the day that they continued gambling in spite of helping their wives at home.
Surprisingly, despite knowing the fact, the police did not take any action against those indulging in gambling on the night of Diwali.
Police officials claimed that gambling among the family members in the house was not illegal, unless somebody provides them with the premises to gamble on a large scale.
A day after Diwali, the level of pollutants in the air reportedly shot up on Thursday due to excessive use of fireworks. Ragpickers and workers of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) said they were yet to ascertain the number of crackers used by the residual garbage and compared to the previous year lesser number of crackers were burst this Diwali.
It was observed that air pollution increased after 7 pm on Thursday. Everywhere the smoke caused by crackers was creating pollution. However, it was observed that the craze for crackers was decreasing day by day. Now the people were not taking that much interest in bursting firecrackers. Air pollution may be the major reason behind it.
The ban imposed by the district administration this year not to sell crude bombs with noise more than 125 decibel, also played an important role in the decrease in pollution particularly in Bhopal.
Earlier many people of the State capital used to burst lot of firecrackers as it was a major part of their enjoyment. But they slowly stopped as it used to create problems for people of all age groups.
Despite the increase in pollution level, BMC employees believe that this year people burst less crackers as compared to the last year. The impact of the bombs and heavy noise was less on Wednesday night, they added.
Due to fireworks, toxins and harmful compounds like sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, manganese, cadmium are released in the air and can cause adverse impact on lungs, causing numerous respiratory ailments. Many people suffering from respiratory disorders faced a major problem on Diwali night.
The increase in pollutant levels also causes symptoms like eye burns, running nose, skin allergy and skin rashes. Some people whose skin is very sensitive faced a problem of skin allergy and rashes. Fireworks should be burst with complete care and cautiousness. One must take care of their health while bursting crackers.
Earlier, almost all political leaders including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had appealed to children to avoid use of firecrackers and instead make Diwali bright and colourful with 'diyas' and 'rangoli'.
The leaders had urged the citizens to overcome darkness that is not only in and around our houses, but also in the form of evil practices, flashy lifestyle, cultural pollution and all sorts of misconduct.
They said that one should not only worship lamps on the Festival of Lights, but also take resolve to widely spread the light.
Many people of the city are fond of showing creativity and prepare new things for the festival. A fashion designing student Nupur Sharma said, "For me, Diwali means a lot of fun, making Diwali dishes with my mom, greeting friends and family. Making rangoli is my hobby on the festival. I made two rangolis on the day and everyone appreciated it.
I am fond of designing new Rangoli every year and this year also I tried to draw a new rangoli with pretty colours. I think everyone should pass a message of spreading colours of happiness during the festival."
Although the festival of Diwali is celebrated with tradition and custom in the State capital by the lighting of candles, electric lights and fireworks, but the people are getting irritated with the increasing pollution.
Air and noise pollution are the major hurdles for enjoyment of the festival. Many people dislike the noise and smoke caused by crackers.
Every year new decorative items get launched in the market and they are so attractive that people drag themselves to buy them in order to give a new look to their home. This year also people celebrated the festival with lot of decoration at their homes, by making Diwali dishes and wearing new clothes.
A great enthusiasm was found among the people of city on Diwali day. Many people got up early in the morning, washed their home, prepared diyas and other material for Laxmi puja. Also, huge crowd was observed at sweet shops during the day. Children were also very enthusiastic for celebrating Diwali night with lot of crackers.
The Pioneer spoke to a number of people from the State capital on how they had celebrated the festival.
MBA student Nidhi Parashar said, "We had lot of fun on Diwali. It is the most awaited festival of the year. I always enjoy this festival with my family and my best friend Shruti. We both are best friends and neighbors as well. Since childhood, we have enjoyed all festivals together.
After performing Laxmi puja at home we both went out and met our colony friends and also enjoyed sweets and snacks at their homes."
A resident of the city Soumya Shukla who is working at HCL in Noida said, "Diwali is one of those festivals for which everyone waits a lot. I stay in Noida and miss my family on every occasion. As my parents wanted to celebrate the festival with me and my sister I came to my hometown for a few days. My mother cooked delicious dishes especially for me. I enjoyed the festival with my family and close friends."
Diwali has its own significance for those living abroad. Many residents of the city who are settled in the US, Dubai and other countries miss their home at this time of the year Those people who could not came to their home for the festival took help of video chat and conferencing to get connected with their families. Some people from the city informed that their dear ones who are settled abroad also follow their custom there.
A housewife Monita Sitoke said, "My husband is in Dubai and I with my twin kids miss him especially on the day. Our children called him on the day and spoke for one hour at least. He also missed his family on Diwali but he himself performed 'puja' there in order to mark the celebration."
Many couples celebrated their first Diwali this year. For those it was a great experience. They enjoyed their festival with the family and sought the blessings of the Goddess for wealth, happiness and prosperity.
A newly married woman Deeksha said, "It was our first Diwali after wedding and we enjoyed it with family. We both bought gifts for our family members and participated in performing all customs on the day. My mother-in-law helped me in performing 'puja' during the day. After the puja, we greeted our relatives and had lot of fun."
Gambling
Since, in sections of the society, gambling is not considered a social evil on the night of Diwali, many people were engaged in gambling during Diwali. Some consider this as a way of bringing good luck for the coming year and in remembrance of the games of dice played by Lord Shiva and Parvati on Mount Kailasa or between Radha and Krishna. In honour of Lakshmi, the female player always wins during Diwali.
This year also, many people were observed gambling on the festival. Some men left in the noon time to play the game whereas their wives did not like it. Women wanted their husbands to help in some work in order to celebrate the festival together. But some men were so crazy for gambling on the day that they continued gambling in spite of helping their wives at home.
Surprisingly, despite knowing the fact, the police did not take any action against those indulging in gambling on the night of Diwali.
Police officials claimed that gambling among the family members in the house was not illegal, unless somebody provides them with the premises to gamble on a large scale.
