No to Fire Crackers

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No to Fire Crackers

By Dr. Arvind Kumar

Many people, particularly children, rejoice in lighting of firecrackers around Diwali. Brighter the sparkles, louder the noise the greater the thrill! In fact to many of us, these aesthetic forms of light seem so appropriate and most essential when celebrating the 'Festival of Lights'. However, in our increasingly populated and polluted cities people seldom realize that the transitory joy of watching the firecrackers is soon replaced by the intense air pollution caused by burning. The toxic substances used in the firecrackers release toxic gases that are harmful to the health of all living beings. The high level of noise generated by the crackers causes immense suffering to birds and animals. Besides, Diwali crackers are dreaded by the sick and the ailing.

Unhappily, people don’t realise that the firecrackers used on Diwali are mostly made by very young children. Since the substances being handled are extremely toxic many of these child labourers get sick and die in their early teenage years or suffer from incurable chronic diseases. Various kinds of chemicals like copper, cadmium, lead, magnesium, sodium, zinc nitrate and nitrite are used in manufacturing fire crackers. Each of these chemicals produces harmful impact on human health. Irritation of respiratory tract, anemia and damage to kidney, effect on nervous system, mental fume fever, and effect on skin are some of the adverse impacts that can be caused by these chemicals used in fire-crackers.

So, on this Diwali let’s say NO to fire crackers and help keep air free from pollution.

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