BENGALURU: While the state government is set to announce a slot to burst firecrackers on Diwali, environmental experts have suggested a time slot between 9 am and 4 pm as ideal to burst crackers in the state.
“We will announce the time slot in a day or two after discussing with a few experts. We will hold a meeting about this by Friday,” said T M Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary to Government.
Environmentalist Yellappa Reddy told The New Indian Express that the ideal time, if the environment is to be considered, is from 9 am to 4 pm. The reason being, this is the time when there will not be much moisture in the air and the smoke will be better absorbed by the rays of the sun. "If it is late in the evening, then the temperature would drop and smoke dispersal mechanism at this time will be less due to the moisture in the air,” he explained.
This also means that festival of lights will have to be celebrated in natural light, he added. “This is definitely going to take away all the fun and essence of Deepavali. It is extremely difficult to give up on tradition,” Yellappa Reddy added.
Environmentalist Suresh Heblikar says that 8 PM to 10 PM is ideal for bursting crackers. “Concern for the environment should be a part of our culture. This has to be imbibed in our thinking and we have to be conscious. We have to be create awareness about this,” he said.
Such a judgement cannot be dismissed but it is very difficult to be implemented in a country like India, say experts. Heblikar says, though the idea of bursting crackers in broad daylight is good for the environment who is is going to do it. “ Ideally, the two hours, according to me should be between 8 pm and 10 pm when we have the entire family coming together for celebrations. We should be done with bursting green crackers before 10 pm and not stretch it further,” he said.
Interestingly, most of the residents have been welcoming the idea of community celebrations for Diwali. Environmentalists think it is the best way to prevent pollution. Experts claim that it would be a brilliant idea to ban bursting crackers in front of houses.
“It is actually a great idea,” says Nagarathna Ratnakar, a resident of Malleswaram.
"There won’t be any garbage in the area and there won’t be any danger of people getting injured,” she adds.