Happy Green Diwali-2020!
Besides, if you’d
like to have sweets and distribute those to your neighbors there are no issues either.
Sweet shops are open across the country you can even walk down to and buy to your
heart’s desire. Various state governments have also announced measures to ensure
undiluted sweets for your good health. Then, if you want to buy new clothes
there is still no problem. Retail cloth stores, malls and online stores are
open across the country and you can buy without taking any risk in terms of
wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
You can also enjoy
company online and through video chats/conferences with your dear friends and
relatives, and help yourselves by not inviting lots of them to your home. You must
check your impulses to go to large gatherings, and instead, enjoy quality times
at your homes with your families for whom you always care. You must understand
that after long six months the pandemic situation is coming under control, and you
should never give away the advantage by your impulsive indiscretion.
And, why at all do
you want to burst firecrackers and fireworks? Under normal circumstances bursting
of firecrackers and having bouts of fireworks greatly impact pollution, adversely
affect the elderly population, particularly with asthma or lung or hearing issues
and tremendously harm the street humans and animals. We heartily welcome the
preventive measures adopted by the state governments of Rajasthan, West Bengal
and Delhi with more states joining in the campaign to have a Diwali totally
free of firecrackers and fireworks.
This a festival of
lights and not of politics or of a particular religion. Therefore, politicking
of any kind in banning fireworks must be avoided by the states. In West Bengal,
the High Court had taken the initiative in banning crackers as it had declared all
Durga Puja pandals as no-entry zones earlier which most probably prevented an
explosion of infections in the state. The state of Karnataka first went for the
ban, but then, perhaps political considerations taking over, allowed two-hours
of fireworks which is not at all advisable.
The Chief Minister
of Maharashtra has been consistently appealing to people to have a green Diwali
while the municipal authorities in Mumbai decided to only partially implement a
ban by allowing firecrackers of the milder variety and green crackers that are almost smokeless, but such measures cannot ensure full compliance.
In Maharashtra Diwali is a five-day event starting today, and therefore preventive measures assume utmost importance here. Most preferably, all states must
go for the total ban irrespective of any consideration. People can have a
resonant Diwali next year if they comply with the restrictions this year.
The NGT (National
Green Tribunal) has done the right thing by imposing a total ban in Delhi NCR region
till 30th November 2020, and by ordering all cities to enforce similar
bans if the pollution indexes in those are above the moderate levels. Here too,
the state governments must cooperate in taking suitable decisions, seriously
taking local pollution levels into active consideration and observation. However,
a total country-wide ban of firecrackers would be the most needed step at the
moment. Under Epidemic Disease Act states are empowered to impose such bans.
Wish you all a great and fulfilling Happy Green Diwali-2020!
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