Blaming firecrackers for the city’s pollution woes is illogical as the major culprits are stubble burning and vehicular and industrial pollution, says Narender Gupta, president of the Fireworks and General Traders Welfare Association in an interview with Ashish Srivastava. Excerpts:
How has the blanket ban on firecrackers affected your community?
The firecrackers business used to generate business worth crores of rupees and helped traders earn a dignified livelihood. The administration used to issue 1,200 licenses annually. We used to face harassment from the authorities but the situation was not that bad.
How many people have been affected by the ban?
Over 2 lakh people were associated with the firecrackers business in the city before the ban. The biggest sufferers have been the labourers. Thousands of them were employed by the traders of Sadar Bazar alone. Now many traders have either moved out of the city or are dependent on orders from other states which does not generate sufficient revenue for them.
Is there any doubt that firecrackers contribute to air pollution?
Firecrackers create pollution only for a day or two. There real culprits are industrial and vehicular pollution which goes on unabated around the year. Also, why can’t the government control stubble burning in neighbouring states?
So, the blanket ban on firecrackers has not made any difference?
It’s a sham by the govt which admits that it was imposed because their officers can’t identify between conventional and green crackers. If SC has allowed green crackers, why is the AAP govt not following it?