Bengaluru looks forward to a safer, greener Deepavali

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: The Festival of Lights, Bengaluru’s most awaited and exciting festival Deepavali, is only a few days away. While shopping for Diyas, dresses and crackers is the most visible activity, private ophthalmic hospitals have released advisories on avoiding eye injuries due to cracker bursts. In 2023, more than 100 people were brought to both public and private opthalmic hospitals with fire-cracker related injuries, with a marginal rise in ‘grievous injuries’ from 2022. This year too, medical experts have advised people to keep in mind safety measures while celebrating the festival. Firecracker bursts can cause both open and closed eye injuries. Major ocular injuries include an 'open globe', which affects the full thickness of the eye wall, closed globe injuries, contusions, which include bruises around the eye, partial thickness wounds, thickness injuries due to sharp objects, and similar penetrating injuries.

Hospitals like Narayana Nethralaya and Dr Agarwal’s have released advisories and emergency contact numbers if needed. Dr Ravi Dorairaj, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital emphasized that more than half of the injuries are borne by bystanders. “The severity of ocular injuries can range from mild irritation and corneal abrasions to serious retinal complications and open globe injuries that could lead to permanent blindness,” he said. Respiratory issues like laryngitis can also be caused by the smoke emitted from the bursting of crackers. “Sparklers are particularly dangerous as burning at temperatures high enough to melt gold (1,800°F), which is nearly 1,000 degrees hotter than the boiling point of water, is capable of causing third-degree burns,” he said. Narayana Nethralaya has released a set of do’s and don’ts for enjoying a safer Deepavali. Keeping water and safety equipment nearby, supervising children and cleaning up after handling fireworks is advised. What is not advised is relighting failed crackers and aiming crackers at others. For those using contact lenses, use of glasses is advised.

Burst green crackers from 8-10pm: K’taka Pollution control board; The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has mandated that green crackers should only be burst from 8 pm to 10 pm from Thursday, October 31 to Saturday, November 2, across the state. The Bengaluru City Police (BCP), and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be keeping tabs on those bursting illegal crackers and violating the given time span. As the sentiment for a greener, safer Deepavali grows, sales in firecrackers have taken a hit in bordering Attibele in Anekal Taluk, after last year’s grievous incident at a firecracker godown where a blaze killed 16 people.

Ever since the incident, the government has tightened the rules for granting permissions, which has led to a reduction in the number of authorized shops. These shops too should have mandatory fire safety equipment, sand storage, and wide exit doors to prevent fire incidents. Joint inspections by police, the revenue department, fire services, and municipalities have emphasized safety compliance. Only vendors with permanent licenses have been permitted to operate with strict adherence to precautionary measures. However, traffic on National Highway 44 (Hosur Road) has increased, despite the increase in cracker prices.