Firecrackers don’t need to be part of celebrations

A fireworks box at the scene of the mishap; (Right) flames engulf the eight-storey flat in Tower-28 in Malad East on Sunday eveningPradeep Chaudhary, owner of flat

A firecracker lit during a wedding procession caused a residential apartment in a western suburb to go up in flames recently. The police said the blaze broke out on an eighth-floor flat after a rocket landed inside a bedroom.

The fire spread via clothing hanging in the balcony. Significant damage was done to the bedroom, balcony, an air conditioner and furniture. The residents were not at home at the time of the incident. The fire brigade managed to extinguish the fire before it could spread further.

A report also stated that the flat owner claimed that the fire safety system of the housing society was not working at the time of the incident.

Finally, the fire was doused but it shows the real danger such firecrackers can cause. Lighting rockets needs to be banned, it is pure and simple. We have had numerous instances when rocket lit during Diwali time have entered homes and cause serious damage and suffering.

As responsible citizens, one can also say that whether rockets are banned or till the time they are prohibited, one should not light rockets, as things can and do go wrong.

We also have to hold a mirror to ourselves as a society. Surely there are other ways to celebrate weddings besides lighting firecrackers. When one wins a match too, at times we hear firecrackers going off in different parts of the city. Sometimes, even as pedestrians pass by, a procession of some sort goes through with firecrackers being lit on the ground. There can surely be other ways to express joy. There are and should be other modes by which we mark special days or victories. Let our happiness and cheer spread light all around. Euphoria with responsibility, safety and celebration should be the credo.