Gurgaon: The two-hour window allowed for bursting firecrackers on Diwali night did little to curb noise and smoke in Gurgaon, with crackers lighting up the sky well past the 10pm deadline. Residents said fireworks continued until around 2am, four hours beyond the permitted slot, raising concerns over enforcement on the ground. For many, the bursting had begun two to three days before the festival.ACP (West) Dharambir Singh said that around 90 FIRs were registered against individuals bursting firecrackers beyond the permissible time in the zone which includes two police stations and two police posts. “Police were on their toes in the district to take action against those found flouting the permitted two-hour window. The complete data on FIRs was yet to be compiled,” he added.The administration allowed bursting only between 8pm and 10pm, in line with Supreme Court directions and an order circulated by the deputy commissioner. Societies issued advisories and set aside designated spots for bursting crackers. On the ground, compliance was hard to maintain.Bursts rattled windows and smoke drifted into homes long after the deadline. “When someone bursts crackers in front of our house, the smoke will certainly enter my home. I am troubled, everyone is facing difficulty due to rise in pollution, and there are sick people,” said Ajit Punia, a former RWA president of A block, Greenwood City in Sector 45.“The administration says burst crackers only till 10pm, but who is monitoring? If someone keeps bursting after that, who will complain, and who will stop them? If the govt wants to do this, do it 100%. This half-baked approach of merely issuing an order and considering the job done doesn’t work,” Punia added.RWAs said their ability to stop people was limited, especially as objections are often seen as interference in religious celebrations.Samir Agrawal, general secretary of Gurgaon One, said his society did its part. “We issued the advisory based on Supreme Court guidelines. We also allocated a specific spot in our ground and asked residents to follow these timings and use green crackers.”Outside the gates, however, the limits were obvious. “We can ensure the timings within our compound, but nothing around us follows them. Enforcing it outside is the job of the govt and the authorities,” Agrawal added. In his area, he said, bursting began well before 8pm and continued well past midnight.Praveen Malik, RWA president of Rising Homes, said his society earmarked a spot in view of the elderly and the sick. “About 60% complied, but some people simply don’t listen,” he said. Advisories flagging infants, the elderly and the ill went out repeatedly, yet crackers burned until 2am.“The moment you stop them, they say it’s a religious festival. What good are personal beliefs when everyone’s health is suffering? What is good when the city becomes a gas chamber?” asked Malik.Residents also spoke of the social cost of confronting neighbours. “People were bursting crackers till 12am and they just wouldn’t listen. Some youngsters from outside came to burst crackers. Relations with neighbours turn sour if you stop someone. Nobody wants to be the bad guy. Shouldn’t police act on their own, rather than waiting for residents to call when permissible time gets over? The elderly suffer the most, both physically and mentally,” said AS Majumdar, RWA president of B block, Uppal Southend.
