Mumbai: Mumbai police were seen patrolling the city streets to keep a check on criminal activities during festivities and ensure that citizens have a safe Diwali.
Unlike last year, there are no limitations on bursting firecrackers to the time slot of 8-10 pm, but there is a ban on the sale and usage of conventional crackers, thus giving way to the eco-friendly ‘green crackers’.
Green crackers have 30 per cent lower emissions of toxic gases than traditional ones and they do not contain barium nitrate, a metal oxide that increases both air and noise pollution.
Interestingly, the new crackers have a prominent green logo to differentiate them from the conventional ones and a special QR code, which on scanning would provide the information about the product, including the chemicals and the process used.
People, however, are hardly informed about the eco-friendly alternative of crackers, partially due to its unavailability in the market, leading them to burst the conventional crackers.
A senior police official said that vans will be patrolling across the city with DCP-level officers doing the rounds to keep any untoward incidents at bay. Police will also monitor the CCTV footage to track those violating the rules.
“We are focused on police presence and visibility in crowded places to prevent street crime as well as to ensure that people follow the rules,” said the official. Meanwhile, the use of Chinese sky lanterns during the Diwali festival was also banned.
Though there is a ban on the use of firecrackers that is not certified as green, the enforcement of rules is not at par. According to a member of the Mumbai and Thane district Fireworks Dealers’ Welfare Association, less than 1 per cent of the firecrackers sold in the city this year are “green”.
A source said that the new firecrackers were expected to hit the market a week before Diwali, but whatever came was at a high cost and 40 per cent less than the demand. Meanwhile, the environment groups have demanded a complete ban on firecrackers, green or not.
