With citizens still fearing COVID and with the second wave of the coronavirus cases likely to hit the country soon Diwali for many people this year will be a low-key affair. For many, it is sad news like the firecracker shop owners or the people selling diyas but for many, it’s a blessing in disguise.
City’s Chief Fire Officer Rajendra Uchake while speaking to The Live Nagpur said, “For the past seven years we have seen a substantial decrease in people asking for a license to sell crackers, you call it the concern for the environment, you call it the economic depression looming over the world or you call it just the COVID fear, you call it whatever but the number of people buying crackers and the number of people selling crackers both have decreased in the city, as last year we had received around 752 applications for cracker shops but this year the number has come down to 482 especially because of the coronavirusâ€.
As many environmental activists have been deeply stressing the fact that an increase in pollution will automatically increase the number of COVID cases in the city as pollution will affect the respiratory system and the person will be more prone to COVID, people fearing this have said NO TO CRACKERS.
While speaking to The Live Nagpur Uchake assured the citizens that “there is no need to panic or fear anything. He said, “even though we are facing a crunch in staff but we have the address of all the cracker shops in the country so we know where to deploy our men so that any kind of mishap or accident is avertedâ€.
He appealed to the citizens to have a safe Diwali, follow all the COVID guidelines, avoid crackers as much they can, and even if they are bursting them take necessary precautions and be safe.
