Customers preferring noiseless firecrackers

Begum Bazar: The awareness drive against sound pollution from firecrackers is finally showing results as the preferences of revelers are slowly shifting from sound producing crackers to ones that sparkle.

Most of the customers visiting one of the big wholesale markets of the city in Begum Bazar expressed their changed preferences, besides reducing their budget on buying the material for one of the important festivals.

With the sales of crackers dropping almost half of that of previous years, owing to various factors, less noisy crackers can be seen in most of the shops in the market. Customers visiting shops have also expressed their knowledge about the Supreme Court's direction on bursting of crackers which contribute to air and noise pollution.

Even as Diwali is going to be celebrated on Sunday, the selling of crackers is yet to pick up pace. In Begum Bazar, a few customers are seen purchasing crackers and most of them are preferring noiseless crackers like sursur batti, lasen bomb, zameen chakkar and anaar etc. "This year the sale of small crackers is higher than big bombs and rockets", said a dealer in Begum Bazar.

Most of the dealers blamed for the rise in price of crackers, about 20 per cent than the previous year. "Owing to the rise in prices of crackers by 10 to 20 per cent, customers are thinking twice to purchase firecrackers", said another dealer.

N Rajesh, a hawker in Begum Bazar, said that for 5 years he has been selling crackers, mostly children would buy all types of crackers, including sound crackers. But for the last two years, the customers are asking for noiseless crackers.

"This year the sale of the small crackers is higher than big bombs and rockets", he added. "During Diwali the noise and air pollution will be high due to bursting of firecrackers. Birds and pet animals get scared, while the elderly persons also face problems.

Hence, we are purchasing noiseless crackers for children", said Divya Singh, a customer. "Every year during Diwali many incidents also occur as most of children get injured while bursting firecrackers. Keeping this in mind we have stopped bursting firecrackers," she added.

Rahul another customer said that firecrackers prices have gone up. "Some years back we used to purchase bagful of crackers. But now, even after spending a huge amount, not even half of the bag gets filled", he said.