RANCHI: Despite the concerns raised by doctors and health workers about the Covid situation aggravating during the festive season, people in the state will be allowed to burst firecrackers during a two-hour windown on Diwali and other subsequent festivals .
In view of the National Green Tribunal’s order to all states amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) on Thursday notified an order allowing bursting of crackers in private places between 8pm and 10pm on Diwali and Guruparv. During Chhath, the window will be from 6am to 8am and for Christmas and New Year, crackers will be allowed from 11.55pm to 12.30am. This year, a blanket ban has been imposed on crackers at public places to check air pollution, which will make things worse for Covid patients in home isolation and those who have recovered for the infection recently.
In a detailed guideline, JSPCB divided the 24 districts of the state into 14 moderately polluted ones and 10 districts with good and satisfactory levels of pollution. A letter issued by JSPCB secretary Rajiv Lochan Bakshi said Ranchi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Palamu, West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Hazaribag, Giridih, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Godda, Pakur and Sahibganj have been categorised as moderately polluted cities with a pollution range of 101-200 ppm. In these 14 districts, only green crackers will be allowed.
In the remaing 10 districts — Chatra, Garhwa, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, Koderma, Jamtara and Dumka — pollution levels were recorded between 1 and 100 ppm and all kinds of firecrackers within 125 decibels will be allowed. The categorisation was made on the basis of the Air Quality Index across the 24 districts in the month of November.
Last week, several doctors while talking to TOI had demanded a complete ban on crackers due to the possiblity of health complications triggered by air pollution and falling temperature. “Pollutants released from firecrackers will remain suspended in the cool, dry winter air for a longer duration. The state must choose health of the people over revenue this year. The govt can later compensate traders who will lose income because of a ban on crackers,” Dr Pradeep Bhattacharjee, head of critical care and trauma at Rims, had said.
Meanwhile, the Ranchi district administration has made elaborate arrangements to ensure a smooth Diwali and deployed policemen across various locations of the city to handle any exigency. Ranchi ADM (law and order) Lokesh Mishra said, “We have deployed three dozen teams on two-wheelers and more than five quick reaction teams for security purposes during the festival. At least 57 static points have been identified where appropriate deployment of forces have been done.”
On being asked about arrangements at hospitals to attend to people with burn injuries, Mishra said, “We have directed Ranchi civil surgeon to arrange for life-saving drugs and to deploy two ambulances with medical staff at the city control room. He has also been asked to ensure that emergency and other wards are kept ready at sadar hospital to attend to patients.”
Recalling instances where fire tenders did not function properly during a crisis, Mishra said fire services have been informed to check the status of their vehicles and to deploy one unit with each QRT at Booty More, Albert Ekka Chowk, Piska More, Birsa Chowk and Chandni Chowk in Kanke.