Pollution-wary students say no to firecrackers

KOLKATA: Residents of a handful of complexes have already decided to shun harmful crackers this year and now, students of some of the prominent schools have resolved to celebrate the festivities the green way.

Said Jeet Basak, a Class XI student of St Augustine Kolkata, “Our school has been talking about the ill-effects of fireworks for a long time. We have not just been made aware of the noise aspect of crackers, but also shown through demonstrations how the air, freshly cleaned by the monsoon rain, turns poisonous with the insidious PM2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less in diameter). It’s time we said no to crackers completely.”


The schoolchildren are well aware of the two-hour timeframe stipulated by the Supreme Court for bursting crackers. “I think the best way to support the judgment is to say no to crackers altogether,” said Arya Mundhr, a Salt Lake resident and a Class IX student of St James School. He is going to light up one single sparkler as a mark of respect to tradition.

Schoolchildren, believed to be the biggest users of fireworks, didn’t need much coaxing, mused Rupkatha Sarkar, principal of La Martiniere for Girls. “During the assembly on Friday, we did tell them about the 8pm-10pm timeframe and the apex court order. But they already know that the worst victims of sound pollution are birds, animals, children and the elderly, all of whom have equal right to a healthy living,” said Sarkar.

The schools have been doing their bit in creating awareness. Lakhsmipat Singhania Academy principal Meena Kak said, “During Friday’s assembly, our students read out a pledge against bursting crackers. They have also been taking out processions with placards that read ‘No crackers this Diwali’.”

Swikriti Saha, Class X of St Augustine, would practice what she has preached in the run up to Kali Puja. She would refrain from bursting firecrackers: “I have urged my friends and relatives not to burst crackers. I have also requested them to get involved in creating awareness about the ill-effect of firecrackers,” said Saha.

Fifteen-year-old Sayan Poddar added, “We are aware that tiny particles suspended in the air lodge inside lungs and cause serious ailments. The process jumps to dangerous levels during Kali Puja and Diwali celebrations when the air quality turns extremely poor.”