Chandigarh: Cracker curbs drown in Diwali din
Residents largely ignored the restrictions on the bursting of crackers on Diwali, leading to air and noise pollution in the city. Police sources said a total of 110 calls related to nuisance due to bursting of crackers were received, way more than 75 calls received past Diwali.
The administration had allowed the bursting of crackers only for two hours, from 8 pm to 10 pm. However, the celebrations began well before this time window and continued till midnight.
People across city areas reported disturbance caused due to fireworks after midnight. However, with limited staff and widespread violations, law-enforcement wings were unable to curb such violations. Residents questioned the effectiveness of the ban, saying that there was a lack of stringent enforcement measures.
“The ban should be followed in full spirit, to protect the environment,” said Hemant Kumar, a local resident.
The disregard for the rules has drawn criticism from environmental groups and residents, who had hoped the ban would lead to improved air quality and less noise pollution.
The violation was widespread in southern sectors where residents kept bursting crackers before and after the two-hour window with impunity.
“The flouting of rules underscores the need for a more strategic approach to curb use of crackers, which may include increasing awareness among students and engaging community leaders,” said Balbir Jaswal, a resident of Sector 38.
442 plaints attended to by PCR
As many as 1,006 calls were received at the police control room on Thursday and police teams visited the spot in response to 467 calls. Of these, 129 calls were related to quarrel, two to nuisance and 161 were miscellaneous spots. Nineteen incidents of road accidents were also witnessed in the city.
