Blanket ban, police checks fail to dissuade Gurugram’s firecracker enthusiasts

Even as the state government banned the sale and use of firecrackers in 14 districts in the National Capital Region (NCR), residents of DLF Phase-1, South City, Tigra, Sector 50, Sohna Road and Sector 56, among other areas, alleged that action taken by police was lax and they got a response only after making multiple calls to the police stations concerned or the control room

A blanket ban and stringent checks of firecracker sales failed to dissuade Gurugram’s residents, as cracker bursting was reported from across the city till late Thursday.

A blanket ban and stringent checks of firecracker sales failed to dissuade Gurugram’s residents, as cracker bursting was reported from across the city till late Thursday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Even as the state government banned the sale and use of firecrackers in 14 districts in the National Capital Region (NCR), residents of DLF Phase-1, South City, Tigra, Sector 50, Sohna Road and Sector 56, among other areas, alleged that action taken by police was lax and they got a response only after making multiple calls to the police stations concerned or the control room.

“I have seen crackers being burst on Diwali, but this time, the situation was alarming and it seemed like people were bursting crackers to make some kind of a point. It started from early evening and went on till after midnight. I called the police control room and the station house officer concerned several times, but I did not get a proper response. Around 10.30pm, I called the emergency number 112 as I was having respiratory problems, but I did not get a response. The festival turned into a health hazard for the elderly and sick,” Parimal Bardhan, a 75-year-old resident of H Block in DLF Phase-1, said.

Ruchika Sethi, a resident of Sector 50, said she made several calls to the police to stop bursting of crackers near her locality but to no avail. “On Diwali day, it did not seem like there was a ban on bursting of crackers at all. From 8.30pm to around 10.30pm, I kept calling the police officials, who were also busy on rounds, but bursting of crackers did not stop. On Friday morning, the officials inspected the area and admonished residents against whom complaints were made. After that, bursting of crackers reduced significantly in and around the society. However, firecrackers are being incessantly burst in neighbouring Tigra village today (Friday) evening.”

The police officials said that they had formed 29 teams who were on rounds across the city, but that they did not book anyone on the day of the festival.

Preet Pal Sangwan, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), said, “We had formed 29 teams who were continuously patrolling the city. There might have been a delay in attending to the complaints of residents as we were getting a lot of calls and teams were being immediately sent to the spots. We received at least 244 calls from residential areas across Gurugram on Thursday regarding bursting of crackers.”

Health experts also raised concerns about the increased pollution levels during Diwali.

Dr Manoj Goel, director of pulmonology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said, “As usual, this Diwali also, the air quality is becoming poor. There is already a rise in number of respiratory cases like viral pneumonia, asthma and COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] attacks and chest infections. They present with breathing difficulty, cough, fever, increased sputum and sleep disturbances. People should wear masks, continue preventive therapies and consider vaccination for flu and pneumonia after consulting a doctor. They should restrict outdoor activities to a minimum.”

Dr Ashutosh Shukla, senior director for internal medicine and medical advisor, Max Hospital, said, “People need to be extra vigilant over the next few days as these high air pollution levels will take around a week to clear. On high pollution days, the best thing you can do to reduce your exposure to air pollution is to avoid main roads and busy streets when possible. Wearing face masks has become a routine amid the pandemic, and is also helpful in avoiding effects of pollution.”