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Gurgaon to give fumes and noise a miss, RWAs use Google forms to survey residents’ mood
As per the survey results, so far, only 9% residents at Fresco Apartment are interested in bursting crackers and RWA members have decided to designate one place outside the condominiums to ensure no pollution inside.
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Following the Supreme Court ban on sale and purchase of fire crackers in Delhi-NCR, several residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in Gurgaon are using Google forms to survey how residents feel about the ban ahead of Diwali.
The RWA of Fresco Apartments in Sector 50 has put out a questionnaire on google forms seeking residents’ opinion on crackers for Diwali.
“Should we burn crackers inside society premises? Else, where should we burn crackers?” the questionnaire, floated on Saturday, read.
As per the survey results, so far, only 9% residents are interested in bursting crackers and RWA members have decided to designate one place outside the condominiums to ensure no pollution inside.
A majority of residents opted “we should not burn crackers” and said those who wish to do so should go outside the
condominium.
“After debates on social media groups over the Supreme Court ban, Fresco ran a survey to take the opinion of residents on bursting crackers. To our surprise, over 91% residents who participated in the survey opted for ‘no crackers’. Around 9% residents expressed a desire to celebrate with crackers,” said Nilesh Tandon, RWA president, Fresco Apartments.
He said after further discussions, even those who had opted for bursting crackers have now decided not to do so.
Many housing societies have boycotted crackers even before the SC ban came into effect. Residents of Park View Residency (PVR), Sector 3, have boycotted crackers as last year a four-year-old girl died a week after Diwali.
“She was asthmatic and fell ill on Diwali night due to pollution and died soon after. We decided that we will not burst crackers and requested all residents to comply. They agreed and we decided to not have crackers this year and in the years to come,” said SC Kumar, president of PVR RWA.
Even then, the society put out a Google questionnaire asking residents to vote on whether they should allow crackers. The answers was a unanimous ‘no’.
Residents of sector 17B, 57 and the new sectors too have decided to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali. They have not bought crackers this year and have decided to hold plantation drives involving children.
In Escape Apartments, Sector 50, RWA members said they would strictly observe the Supreme Court order.
“It is heartening to note that children have become quite conscious of the environment.Children suffer the most from lungs congestion, asthma and breathing problems caused by pollution. So we have texted all residents informing them that bursting crackers is strictly prohibited within the premises and on the green belt.We are confident our residents will abide by the guidelines,” said Manashi Roy, a member of the RWA.
Residents of Silver Oak Apartments on Faridabad Road are celebrating a ‘Go Green Diwali’ for the fifth consecutive year.
The RWA members have circulated a poster on its WhatsApp group and pasted a notice on the premises asking residents to celebrate a Green Diwali with prayers, flowers and earthen lamps.
The district administration on Sunday had directed the police to deploy sufficient number of police control room vans to keep a check on bursting of crackers outside the time permitted by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
The high court had ordered that crackers could be burst only for three hours on Diwali between 6.30pm and 9.30pm in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
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