Bhopal: For some, Diwali, the festival of lights is incomplete if not accompanied with the sounds of crackers. However, following growing awareness towards environment and the anti-cracker campaign, people are now going green are opting for noiseless Diwali. This, however, does not augur well for traders as the sales of firecrackers have come down drastically. This year too, the festival of light will witness fewer fireworks. Already feeling the heat, the traders will now have to bear the brunt of the imposition of 28 per cent tax on the crackers under the new tax regime. Following high GST on crackers, the business of firework is expected to go down by half this Diwali. Ban on sale of Chinese crackers has already brought the sales down drastically.
Besides, the MP Pollution Control Board is also on its toes to ensure that air and noise pollution is kept within limits during the festival.
MP Pollution Control Board regional officer (Bhopal) PS Bundela said, “We usually collect the cracker samples from market and conduct tests and measure the sound. The same procedure will be followed this year also.” Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the prescribed sound limit for the crackers are 125dB (decibel) and this has to be followed, he added.
Traders lamented that awareness campaigns against the hazardous effects of crackers on environment and health have led to decline in demand. Thoke Atish Baji Vikreta Sangh Daulat Ram Dadlani said, “Prices of crackers have skyrocketed and it has become out of the reach of common man. Rates have gone up following the imposition of 28 per cent GST on crackers. This discourages people from purchasing the crackers. So this time, market is expected to be just 50 per cent. We will have to bear the loss.”
He said, “Chinese crackers, which were cheaper, have been banned. Right from very beginning we have discouraged it and have always promoted Indigenous crackers. The ban orders are being implemented strictly and so the people will not find any chines crackers in the market and will have to go for Indian crackers, if at all they can afford it.”
