UP pollution control panel fails to control bursting fire crackers

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board failed in its efforts to contain bursting of fire crackers post 10 p.m. Sunday night on Diwali, as per a Supreme Court ruling.

Sources confirmed to IANS that the police control room was flooded by frantic calls from heart patients, families of kids and infants to stop the crackers by sending mobile squads, but all their requests fell on deaf ears.

Overzealous youngsters blasted ear deafening crackers as the local police looked the other way.

"My daughter was not well and we rang up the police after a neighbour began blasting crackers after 10.30 p.m. But we got a very cold response. What is the use of SC deadlines and all this talk of sound pollution when the police does not care about all this," said a concerned Ritu Sharma.

At many places in Aliganj, Jankipuram, Sitapur road, Nirala Nagar, Gokhale Marg, Sapru Marg, Indiranagar, Gomtinagar, youngsters played cracker matches.

These matches meant that crackers would begin after 11 p.m. and each side would try to outdo the other by bursting the maximum number of loudest crackers.

Sharad Mishra, a resident of Sapru Marg, told IANS that his wife was bed-ridden with a neurological disorder and that she had immense trouble Sunday night due to the high sound crackers.

"Even the sedatives did not work. What is most shocking is that the police did not come to our rescue even though they are duty bound to enforce the SC directive," he said.

Residents also complained that both Deputy Inspector General of Police Navneit Sikera and the Senior Superintendent of Police J. Ravindra Gaud refused to take calls saying they were busy with parties and puja.

Crackers were also burst around prohibited areas like places of religious worship, schools and hospitals.

The pollution control board officials had earlier claimed that they and the local police had formed mobile squads to check high-decibel crackers to ensure that no crackers were burst post the 10 p.m, deadline of the apex court.