Burn Fire Crackers But Also Accept The Responsibility Of Its Aftereffects

Homes sparkling with diyas and lights, kids frolicking with crackers in their hands, kitchens overwhelmed with the aroma of delicious food and sweets and faces brightened with new clothes and make up - this is how Diwali looked like for many of us in India. People indulged themselves in the festival of lights hoping that the light of Diwali will brighten their lives and homes. The exhaustion of the enjoyment can still be felt in the body which is restless and sleepy. But it is okay because the exhaustion is proof that you had a blast this Diwali. However, one thing wasn’t good about post-Diwali- the waste of firecrackers dumped in the open. It was a sign of irresponsibility committed towards the environment by selfishly contaminating natural resources after dumping the bad things of Diwali in the open.

Post-Diwali morning, the country reportedly saw a lot of used firecracker waste littered around in the open in various areas like Delhi’s Akshardham area and Arjun Nagar and UP’s Moradabad. These are the places that came to the spotlight. There are many other regions that have not been reported. Last year 138 metric tons of firecrackers waste was collected in Chennai alone. I am sure every one of us could see firecracker waste in our colonies and streets this Diwali morning. But how many of us took responsibility for it? How many of us considered it as our fault for being irresponsible about our duty towards the country’s and environment’s cleanliness?

Who will look after the post-Diwali waste?

Even though the ban on firecrackers is debatable, littering the streets with waste is just not acceptable. If we fight for our freedom to enjoy Diwali without any bans or intervention of the government’s rule, we also need to take responsibility for the after-effects of unrestricted enjoyment. I am not passing any verdict on the need for a ban on firecrackers during Diwali. But I am questioning our responsibility as a community to take care of the environment. If we don’t want any ban on crackers, then why do we become selfish by recklessly spoiling the cleanliness of the environment? Why do we ignore that piling up firecracker waste can cause different types of pollution which are not good for the environment and hence our future? Why do we forget that the freedom to burst firecrackers should not take a toll on the environment and even on people’s health?

While we seek freedom to burst firecrackers, we also need to take up the responsibility of cleaning the aftereffects. We should not only clean the waste piled up on Diwali morning but should also cut down on wasting resources and contaminating them. We should follow the rules decided by the government to avoid an increase in pollution post-Diwali. We should cut down on using vehicles to avoid harmful emissions. We should be careful about what we take from the environment and what we emit.

It is equally selfish to leave the task of cleaning the waste created by us on the safai karamcharis. Their duty is to keep the streets clean and not our reckless and irresponsible mindset. I am not just talking about Diwali. I am talking about every other festival of different religions that piles up harmful waste materials for the safai karamcharis to clean and for the environment to get contaminated.

As Neha Shrestha, the founder of All Living Things told ">SheThePeople, “(Lack of consciousness towards environment) completely stems from the lack of responsibility. People don’t feel that it is their personal responsibility. Like when you look at garbage, even if you see garbage on the road, nobody does anything about it…Also sometimes people are like someone’s already throwing garbage so it is okay to add litter to it. But nobody really understands it on a personal level that it’s more your personal responsibility that the responsibility of all of us as a group. It starts with yourself.”

Bursting firecrackers is a fun affair that gives pleasure to many of us. But in that fun, we cannot forget our duties towards the environment. If we do so, then it is justifiable for the government to put a ban on firecrackers to ensure a better future. Because if there would be no future, then how will you enjoy the next Diwali or any such festival?

Views expressed are the author's own.

Suggested Reading: The Delicious Faraal of Diwali Ank: Continuing The Annual Reading Ritual