As the boom, boom of crackers began in right earnest in the lanes and bylanes, buyers and traders thronged makeshift cracker shops in Jummerat Bazaar, Purana Pul and other areas of the city on Friday evening.
The road stretch between Goshamahal, Begum Bazaar, Jummerat Bazaar and Purana Pul was gridlocked as citizens tried to make last-minute purchases before the big day of lights.
“We got permission only a few hours back and we opened the shop. But you can see how many people are here,” said Shyam Chowdhury, visibly relieved to be allowed to get back to business.
Other shopkeepers in the area were sullen as they said they lost crucial business over the past few days.
“Todays daytime was crucial but we were allowed to open only in the evening. Now, it is a gamble of how many people will buy now and tomorrow. If people make their purchases tomorrow, we might be saved otherwise we are doomed,” said Shankar Singh, who said he borrowed money to invest in the business.
Friday’s Supreme Court order modifying the Telangana High Court order in line with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has shifted the focus from a complete ban to the fine print about green crackers.
“Namastey anna,” said a trader, when asked about green crackers in his shop at Purana Pul. Other traders were equally evasive about the stock and sale of green crackers. Developed by Indian scientific establishment, including Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, green crackers cause less pollution and decibel level is also lower and limited to a band of 110-125 Db.
Conventional crackers trigger a surge in pollution of superfine suspended particulate matter, data from the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), over the past few years, shows. The availability, price and popularity of green crackers remains an issue.
The SC order triggered a social media celebration of sorts as many people shared their determination to burst crackers on Deepavali.
