Environment protection awareness campaign by various residents welfare bodies in the national capital failed to yield much result as people in many areas continued to burst firecrackers on the festive occasion, despite being motivated to adopt a green and noiseless Diwali.
However, many residents in few housing societies heeded the appeal and did not burst high noise-emitting firecrackers.“We had issued a circular asking people to burst lesser number of crackers this Diwali in view of the air and noise pollution.
“So till 8.30 pm-9 pm, children and youth of the society refrained from burning crackers but as the day inched closer to an end, they burst them freely,” said Saurabh Gandhi, president of Maharana Pratap Bagh Residents Welfare Association in Civil Lines area in north Delhi.
Circulars urging residents to opt for a “green Diwali” celebrations were issued in the Brotherhood Society of Model Town but only few areas responded to the appeal.
“Lesser number of crackers were burnt this year as compared to last year Diwali celebrations in our society,” said Sanjay Gupta, vice-president of the RWA in the area.
B.S. Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front in Krishnanagar, said that they had attempted to create an awareness through social media to dissuade people from bursting crackers.
“We appealed the area residents through Whatsapp and Facebook not to burst crackers, and it did have some affect as children and youth burnt limited number of crackers,” Mr Vohra said.
President of Phulwadi block resident welfare association in G.T.B. Nagar, Ajay Budhraj said that they had put up posters on the notice board.
Similarly, posters were put up in several housing colonies of Mukherjee Nagar area in north Delhi. “We have been sensitising residents about the harmful effects of bursting crackers on the environment and this year was no different. Not only does the bursting of firecrackers cause noise pollution, it also brings misery to the elderly and those suffering from respiratory disorders,” said S.L. Medndiratta, president of Dr Mukherjee Nagar East Resident Vikas Samiti.
