A case against firecrackers

In permitting the sale and bursting of green crackers, the Supreme Court appears to have given precedence to public sentiment over public safety.

Green crackers can be harmful too. The worsening of air quality on Deepavali will only mean an aggravation of health problems. There is also no guarantee that certified green crackers alone will be used by revellers. People in a festive mood tend to flout guidelines, and there is no real chance of punishing a mass of people. The wisdom of allowing the widespread bursting of firecrackers, that affects senior citizens, infants, and patients on treatment or recuperating, is indeed questionable.

G. David Milton,

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

In my childhood, most of us did not have the luxury to “burn money” on fireworks. With our father who was the sole breadwinner, and a large family of six children, our Deepavali budget for crackers barely touched ₹25-₹40. Delhi was more greener, less crowded and the smoke hardly made an impact.

N. Nagarajan,

Secunderabad

Bengaluru’s roads

The debates on the pot-holed roads of Bengaluru never seem to end as the basic question of how these potholes appear and reappear despite repeated repairs costing crores, and why no one is held accountable, is a mystery. Unless heads roll no improvements will be possible. With Bengaluru gaining importance as a world-class technical capital, there has to be action.

V. Padmanabhan,

Bengaluru