"Pollution level touches a low during Deepavali" - in Bangalore :-)

From the Deccan Herald todays edition

"The pollution level in the last three days was much lower compared to the previous year, according to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.In essence, the quantity of crackers burst this year was significantly low."

And further down:

" In 2008, the quantity of sulphur dioxide (SO2) found in SG Halli (residential locality in Basaveshwarnagar) during celebrations was 118 per cent more than in any normal day that year. However, this year the sulphur dioxide content was only 64.94 per cent more than in any normal day. In short, the pollution level decreased by 54 per cent this year."

Well if people had to burst so less crackers then why did they have to create a jam on the road rushing to buy cheap crackers from Hosur. They could as well have brought the expensive crackers and not spent hours in traffic.

The pollution level is just 64.94% above normal, I just hope my Asthma realises this and not act up like usual. BTW why am I being nasty to all the "good citizens" who only wanted to celebrate in the true sprite of the "Festival Of Lights" after all I was one of those "better citizens" who added to the "low in air pollution".

The festival of lights (nay Noise and Pollution)

So starts the festival of lights Diwali. Should be called more a festival of Noise and pollution. The noise of all those bursting crackers is very irritating and its worse in the locality that I stay in for it echos for some time. Why do they want to even light these crackers I cant comprehend. But I have to confess I have done it in my younger days, but more due to peer pressure that for the love of hearing the noise when it bursts. A careful observation of the person lighting these crackers will show that they light the cracker (say the atom bomb :-) ) using a rather long agarbathi and the slightest hint of it being lit they run to a safe distance and cover their ears. Hello! isnt the whole point of lighting a bursting cracker is the noise and not to see the flash of light. The more hillarious part is when they actually close their eyes or turn away from the cracker. If u dont like it dont do it and save us from cringing with irritation.

The noise of the cracker is one thing but when they do it in the early morning it turns to anger. Why do they have to do it early in the morning -- like 4:00 AM ? What are they trying to prove, that they can get up in the morning and have a bath or do they think that the God's will reward them for being the first ones for welcoming him. Grow up all you people who have these wierd notions, sleep , let others sleep and do all your fireworks at some more saner hour if u want to maintain tradition. I have a nasty itch to do pay them back in the same coin by bursting say a 600wala on Monday morning at 2:00AM so they can have a disturbed sleep :-)

Last but not least has anyone actually thought about air pollution. I bet these crackers produce a lot of toxic fumes. Have you see the aftermath of a flowerpot. The smoke that it generates spreads around to search for human host to invade to that they can pay the price of waking them from a solid slumber. Parents allow their kids to cross the path of this deadly sideeffect without a care for what whould be the long term effects.

BTW I also did add to the air pollution but lighing a lot of flower pots and sparklers and unfortunately my elder son must be exposes to some of these toxic vapors.
My younger son is more scared about the flowerpot that bursting cracker... strange

Signing off now. Will pollute the atmosphere more tomorrow.

A good article on the toxic fumes is here