Residents to avoid crackers as pollution rings alarm bells

GHAZIABAD: The high pollution levels in Kaushambi have forced the Kaushambi Apartments Residents Welfare Association (KARWA) to start an online campaign to discourage the use of firecrackers this Diwali.
The office-bearers of KARWA have sent out emails to the occupants of 21 housing societies highlighting the adverse impact of firecrackers on the environment. Messages have also been circulated among various groups of residents, who are active on mobile phone chat applications, under the KARWA umbrella.The president of each housing society has been asked to ensure that firecrackers are avoided by residents by undertaking a robust campaign.
“A group of residents in Kaushambi had begun a campaign to avoid Chinese firecrackers and lights this Diwali. KARWA has endorsed this campaign because these imported goods do not seem to meet any standards. We have asked residents to use 2 watt LED lights for decoration as that will lead to less power consumption. Use of earthen lamps on Diwali evening is also being encouraged,” KARWA president Vinay Mittal told TOI.
The initiative has been undertaken by KARWA in the backdrop of the results of lung function tests which had been conducted at a community level in July 2015. The tests had been conducted in coalition with a Patparganj-based hospital on 105 people belonging to all age groups. Results had revealed that 72% of persons did not keep healthy lungs.
The KARWA is also fighting a case pertaining to massive air and noise pollution in Kaushambi, at the National Green Tribunal.
The association has zeroed in on the major sources of pollution in Kaushambi as Anand Vihar bus depot in Delhi border, Sahibabad Industrial Area, Kaushambi bus depot, the Ghazipur landfill site and NH-24 and NH-58.
All these sources lie in close proximity to Kaushambi.