VANCH VILLAGE: Firecrackers are central to Diwali celebrations for millions of Indian Hindus and this year was no different even as some cities, including New Delhi, banned their use to curb some of the world's worst pollution levels.
Diwali honors the victorious return of Rama, one of Hinduism's most revered figures, and was celebrated in India on Thursday. It is also known as the festival of lights because it symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, or good over evil, which explains why fireworks are so central to the celebrations.
“Firecrackers harm the environment, but they are a way to bring us good luck,” said Yash Gadani, a local business owner, in Ahmedabad, a city in the western state of Gujarat.
While the bans did not stop people from using firecrackers, factories that make the devices say sales have fallen this year as the rising cost of living, including higher prices for firecrackers, dampened demand.
In the village of Vanch, near Ahmedabad, thousands of workers covered in silver gunpowder make firecrackers by hand.
The industry is largely informal with lax safety standards. Nearly all of Vanch's 10,000 residents are involved, and workers are paid 500 rupees ($5.95) a day, often for 16-hour days.
“A couple of factory fires and unseasonal rains have led to a rise in raw material prices,” said Dipan Patel, who heads a unit in Vanch.
The ban on firecrackers has been difficult to implement, especially during Diwali, despite the threat of jail and fines.
New Delhi, a city of 20 million inhabitants, is the most polluted capital in the world. Starting in October every year, air quality worsens as factors such as post-harvest agricultural stubble burning, car fumes and smoke from firecrackers are trapped over the city.
“Incidents of stubble burning are decreasing, but… there is a need to control the smoke created by firecrackers,” Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai told the news agency. ANI.
