Pooja, our local grocer’s daughter, was
trying to light a ‘fountain’ firecracker and in the dark, she had not noticed
the number of other firecrackers including a string of live ‘atom-bomb’, wheel
and other fountain firecrackers that some others had lit nearby. The little
girl had been caught in the multiple explosions that had taken place around
her. We had rushed her to a neighbouring hospital where a team of doctors had
gravely told us that she had sustained severe burns on her body and face. Even if
she managed to survive, she would be scarred for life…
I sighed and looked out of the hospital
window. How many Poojas would have to suffer like this before the Government
even considers passing a law, banning the manufacture and sale of firecrackers.
Forget the Government, how many Poojas
would have to suffer before their parents realize that firecrackers are dangerous,
life-threatening explosive devices that should be avoided at all costs, and
least of all, handled by children!
It is a paradox that I find sometimes infuriating,
often saddening, but always confounding.
On one hand parents do not even allow their
children to touch a matchbox or a hot utensil, lest they burn themselves. And
yet these same parents will sit back and watch adoringly as their young
children, sometimes even toddlers, swirl around sparklers (fulzhadis) which
reach temperatures of 1000 to 2000 degrees Centigrade! That is 10 to 20 times
the temperature of boiling water!!
The same parents will also encouragingly clap
their hands when their child lights a firecracker, (and often a string of
them!) which explode causing sounds up to 125 db.
Incidentally, the WHO has recommended that
children should not be exposed to sounds louder than 120 db for fear of
deafness.
Everything about the issue of firecrackers is wrong.
Beginning with the actual manufacture of firecrackers, in India,
everything about manufacturing firecrackers i.e. mixing chemicals to filling,
binding to packaging, is done by hand.
Most fireworks factories employ uninsured, poor people who are paid a
pittance compared the occupational hazards they face.
Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, South India is the birthplace of firecrackers
in India. It contributes to 90% of the Rs 2500 crore ($ 50,000,000) fireworks
industry in India.
Sivakasi has about 700 ‘registered’ fireworks factories, many of which
outsource their work to illegal smaller units. A large number of these factories/
units fragrantly flout all the prescribed norms and regulations for safety,
with the Government turning a blind eye and deaf ear towards them.
Even now, many of these factories employ
small children for actually making the firecrackers, on grounds that their
small hands are better suited to making smaller firecrackers! Many of them
suffer poisoning and injury from handling the dangerous chemicals involved
therein.
All of the above creates the potential for devastating accidents, as
evidenced by the terrible explosion and fire that took place in Om Sakthi
Fireworks factory in September 2012, which claimed over 50 lives.
To make matters worse, the nearest
specialized burns care unit is 60 km away in Madurai.
Then consider the vast amounts of money
spent…wasted…burned in purchasing and using these firecrackers. Money which
could have been utilized in so many other, better ways…
Our planet too suffers as a direct result
of these firecrackers, through air and noise pollution. In Mumbai during
Diwali, one finds a distinct sulphurous stink in the air pervading throughout
the city, and more so, in the areas where firecrackers are ‘enjoyed’ the most.
The most tragic fallout of these
firecrackers is upon the health of humans.
In India, the Explosives Rules (2008)
states that firecrackers that emit only sound can emit sound only up to 125 db at 4 metres from point of bursting. Also, for individual
fire-cracker constituting the series (joined fire-crackers), the above
mentioned limit should be reduced by 5 log10(N) db, where N = number of
crackers joined together. And for firecrackers emitting sound and light, the
upper limit is 90 db.
These rules don’t take
into account the simple fact that during the Diwali celebrations in a given
area, multiple firecrackers are burst together at the same time, compounding
the effect and the decibel levels.
The Explosive Rules
(2008) also do not take into consideration, the effect of the amount of time of
exposure at different decibel levels.
The human ears can
tolerate sound levels without discomfort only up to 80 db, after which
unpleasant things start to happen to them.
The National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an office of the world renowned CDC
or Center of Diseases and Control, USA states that damage to our ears take
place when exposed to,
90 db for 2 hours,
100 db for just 15
minutes,
112 db for only ONE
minute,
Anything above 140 db
causes immediate auditory nerve damage!
Please note that these
figures are ‘allowed’ for a span of 24 hours. That means that if you are exposed
to 100 db for about 15 minutes, you should NOT get exposed to any sound above
80 db for ANOTHER 24 HOURS! This ‘rest period’ is important for your ears to
recover from the insult of the exposure.
For more details refer
to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-126/pdfs/98-126.pdf
NGOs have recorded
decibel levels varying from 90 db to 130 db levels in different cities in India
in the past.
So one wonders how our
Indian Government came up with this magic ‘safe’ figure of 125 db for
firecrackers.
Other than deafness, poisoning due to the
chemicals used in firecrackers, burns, injuries from flying particles, increase
in attacks of asthma, high blood pressure, nervous disorders…the list is
endless!
And what’s worse is that most of the victims
suffering the above are often not even directly involved in lighting the
firecrackers, e.g elderly, babies, animals etc!
It is no wonder therefore, that some
countries like Sweden and Malaysia have banned firecrackers altogether. And in
many other countries, there are only state-sponsored firework shows with light
(not sound) oriented firecrackers, held with regular precautions, conducted by
trained personnel, with the crowds standing at a safe distance
When will our Indian Government wake up…?!
Finally, the most lamentable fact is that
everybody conveniently forgets that Diwali is a festival of Lights, not sound! The
original, Veda-recommended way to celebrate Diwali is to decorate one’s house
with numerous ‘diyas’ (lamps) and colourful lights.
And yet so many people choose to ‘enjoy’ Diwali
by playing around with dangerous, life-threatening firecrackers…
So this Diwali, instead of lighting crude,
noisy and dangerous firecrackers, light the lamp of happiness and cheer in some
poor, needy person’s life by using that same money to do that person some good.
A very happy…and more importantly, safe
Diwali to all of you!
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