We must see the wisdom in having a silent Diwali

It is going to be a silent Diwali thanks to a ban on firecrackers brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The BMC has announced that it will ban bursting and lighting of firecrackers at public places during the upcoming festival.

The ban, experts say, is also because of relatively cooler weather that has set in and which may lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Europe is amid a second wave, and several countries have enforced another lockdown as cases have spiralled in winter, proving there is something to be said for the theory that cooler weather may have something to do with a higher number of cases.

For days now, the WhatsApp merry-go-round had been churning with messages about how the State should disallow firecrackers. This was because of the air pollution and increased levels would be harmful to patients as COVID-19 affects the lungs. We also need to note that New Delhi is seeing an alarming rise in cases, and subsequently increasing bed capacity. This, too, is attested to the cooler-weather-increases-infections theory.

We must adhere to the no cracker guidelines and on its part, the BMC has to be absolutely spot on and crystal clear in its guidelines. For instance, what do they mean by public places? That needs to be clearly spelt out.

Shut down those who seek to communalise the issue and polarise the society in these very challenging times. See the wisdom in these guidelines rather than needless bickering and falling for politically-driven communal bait.

In fact, even before this ban, a number of housing societies in the city were contemplating a ban on firecrackers within their premises for the same reasons. Extraordinary times call for empathy and acknowledgement that things need to be different to defeat this virus.

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