[FrozeninTime]

This Diwali was the most cracker free and quietest Diwali I saw. In my locality people lacked festive spirit. They switched of unnecessary lights ( to conserve electricity)and cracker use was very little. This most boring Diwali.I felt like I was in some Western country.

Anyways belated Diwali greeting to all Bhpians

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by FrozeninTime

I felt like I was in some Western country.

Not UK! They have November 5th. And, when the two are only a few days apart, there might be a never-ending firework show from one to the other in areas with a large Indian population.

[bluevolt]

In Rohini, Delhi, I could not spot one single firecracker seller in the market. Had to get couple of anar & phuljhari pack from a friend in Noida for Diwali evening.

But even in this situation where no one was selling firecrackers, I could not see any reduction in firecracker lightining in Rohini area. Perhaps, people have sourced crackera from Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Sonipat, Merut and nearby neighbouring areas around Delhi.

[AMG Power]

Driving through some areas in Bangalore it felt like there were lunatics with crackers on the road.

Cars stopped on the main road waiting for maniacs to stop unrestrained bursting on the main road! Noise, Smoke and fire hazards - we still have this "celebration with no consideration for main roads, hazards to life of other citizens and noise and smoke pollution".

This is the equivalent of explosives in the hands of some dumbskull lunatics. And Bangalore doesn't seem to have a shortage of that.

When done in an organised way as a couple of days ago in Dubai, it is enjoyable, but that can never happen here.

[jbpanda]

To avoid NCR pollution going bad to worse during and after Diwali I chose to drive down from Gurgaon to Amritsar to spend 3 days here. The amount of crop burning incidents I witnessed throughout my way was insane. The situation is very bad and it's important that apart from trying to create awareness some form of incentive be tried to collect it rather than allowing it to be burnt like this. That's the major contributor to pollution in NCR. People have to be self conscious about the deteriorating scenario and stop being childish about bursting crackers which is not helping the cause.

On another note, it was a breeze to drive from Gurgaon to Amritsar as I have never seen roads on this route this empty ever. We covered a total of 490 Kms in 7.5 hours with 1 hour break for refuel, lunch and tea break.

[Dry Ice]

I have not been bursting crackers since a few years now. Diwali to me is more about hanging out with friends and family. This year was no different for me, but I did experience lesser folks bursting crackers overall in my part of town.

Maybe it was different in other parts of the town with cracker bursting at record high, or not. Who knows, couldn't find any report about that.

But did it really help reduce pollution? Here is a report I came across which says the pollution level was double this year compared to last year post Diwali time.

The move comes as Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) post-Diwali dropped to 642 in the “severe plus emergency”. This is nearly double the pollution levels of last year post Diwali, when the AQI was around 367. In 2016, the AQI was 425.

https://www.livemint.com/Politics/sP...hree-days.html

[sai_ace]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

.... but I did experience lesser folks bursting crackers overall in my part of town.[/url]

This 'holier-than-thou' mindset is quite uncalled for.

In your words I am one of the 'lesser folk'. I bought crackers this time - more of the light variety and very little of the sound variety. ( Surprisingly-the ladi announced it to be less than 105 dB). I had a gala time in Coimbatore with the crackers - I dont see much Diya and lights in this part of the country. However Deepavali was very subdued and muted here in CBE - personally that made me really sad. (also TN had close to 2000 people arrested for bursting crackers outside the specified hours)

I enjoy crackers - I am not going to justify this by claiming what else environment friendly stuff I do for the rest of the year.

I genuinely genuinely wonder how many of us here professing the polluting nature of crackers, opt to take public transport instead of their own vehicles/Ola/Uber in light of the environmental damage caused by these vehicles.

I have realised that when it comes to pollution - it is always 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind'. Thousands of vehicles on the road spewing invisible noxious gases gets nary a few raised eyebrows, but a night's revelry of bright and smoking crackers causes everyone and their uncles to raise their voices. I am not an orange flag bearing spear wielding activist fighting against those sickle & hammer warriors with red flags. I am just a normal guy who is just irritated with the tunnel vision that we operate with when it comes to pollution arising out of crackers during diwali.

PS: I commute to work on a motorcyle - Am sure even I can do better by opting for a bus to work.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by sai_ace

In your words I am one of the 'lesser folk'. I bought crackers this time - more of the light variety and very little of the sound variety. ( Surprisingly-the ladi announced it to be less than 105 dB). I had a gala time in Coimbatore with the crackers - I dont see much Diya and lights in this part of the country. However Deepavali was very subdued and muted here in CBE - personally that made me really sad. (also TN had close to 2000 people arrested for bursting crackers outside the specified hours)

Dear, by lesser I meant fewer folks. Purely in terms of numbers.

[sgiitk]

This was my first crackerless Deepawali for decades. Why, all three of us friends (had dinner together) are getting old, 67 (yours truly) 71 and 75. We definitely indulged in Candles but no crackers. None of us have kids (one) or grandkids with us. In any case it is a festival or light and not noise. I learnt from my son that Gurugram has no licensed vendor for fireworks. However, the pollution levels in Delhi / NCR have gone through the roof.

[sai_ace]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Dear, by lesser I meant fewer folks. Purely in terms of numbers.

In which case I sincerely apologize for my misunderstanding.

[werfish]

Why are we cribbing about Diwali crackers for one day causing pollution, compared to us driving cars 365 days of year.

[ramzsys]

Billions of nasty molecules swirling around: heavy metals, hydrocarbons, carcinogens. They cloak your city in a semi-transparent haze, layer the sky with unholy orange clouds, hug the ground in suspended animation. The tin*iest specks, 30 times finer than a strand of hair, enter your nose and throat, sneak past the gooey mucus, and slip deep into your lungs and bloodstream. Like minuscule bullets, they corrode and kill cells, pushing your immune system out of whack. Lungful after lungful, and your immune cells get inflamed like a slow-burning forest fore: chronic inflammation. Scientists have now revealed a frightening new reason to worry: air pollution impairs your body's ability to process sugar, triggering diabetes.

source

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/c...900-2018-11-17

[bluevolt]

With Diwali hardly 3 weeks away, surprised to see this thread inactive till now!

In Delhi/NCR, the government has allowed sale of green crackers. Looks like there will not be a 100% ban that we have seen last year.

While I have not researched much about green crackers, I believe they will be producing less pollution than the regular ones! Any other thoughts? Their prices, way of manufacturing etc? How different green crackers are different from non-green ones and are you going to burn green crackers this diwali?

[ValarMorghulis]

I absolutely looooooooooove Deepavali, and when I say I love it, I really mean it. Ever since childhood this festival has been my favourite, leagues ahead of all others.

What I love most about it is (in no particular order):
1. The happiness of being amidst family and friends
2. Sweets (ya, I have a sweet tooth). I have specifically requested my parents to get me additional 3kgs of sweets not found in Bangalore
3. Lights and the decorations especially the diyas
4. Crackers
While I lit up a big chunk when I was a kid, it is mostly a formality now.
I'll light up a couple of phuljhadis, may be an anaar or a chakri. Wifey isn't too enthused about too many crackers, and neither am I now.

That said, Happy Dussherra and Deepavali wishes everyone

[the_skyliner]

I still have some crackers from last Diwali and looks like we won't be able to use them all this time too. Just the idea of lighting up a couple of small crackers is enough to have fun.

My elder son is almost 7 now and he is not a big fan of burning crackers but likes to light up a couple of Anaar and Chakri. So we burn few on first day of Diwali.

Can't wait for Diwali's first day now and especially the morning (we call it "Diwali Paahat" here in Pune)!