Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

�Avoid kolgos, celebrate Diwali safely�

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 18 - Cases of injuries caused by bursting crackers during Diwali have been increasing at a rapid rate and most of these cases are caused from bursting of flower pots (kolgos).

According to the Burn Care Foundation, a social unit of city-based Nemcare Hospital, around 73.5 per cent burn cases reported during the two days of Diwali were caused due to bursting of flower pots in the past few years.

Though flower pots are not meant for bursting, these are seen to burst quite often and cause serious injuries to the user, the foundation stated in a statement.

As per data published by the foundation, of the cases reported in the burn care unit of the hospital during Diwali time, 75 per cent patients are male and 25 per cent were female. Among them, 17.2 per cent cases were caused by fire crackers, 3.1 per cent cases were caused by earthen lamps and 6 per cent cases were caused by chakari or phuljari (sparklers).

Burn care specialists of the foundation further opined that if people stop using flower pots, there will be a fall in around 75 per cent of Diwali-related burn incidents this time.

�In addition to burn injuries, air and noise pollution caused by bursting of fire crackers have reached an all-time high in the recent past. Chemicals used in manufacturing fire crackers contain barium nitrate, lithium, mercury, arsenic, sulfur dioxide, magnesium and copper. These are very harmful to human beings and can cause mental and nervous disorders, heart attack, kidney failure, skin eruption, lung cancer and asthmatic problems,� the statement asserted.

In the meantime, with the aim to reduce Diwali-related burn cases, the Burn Care Foundation has started an initiative to make people aware about the menace of burn accidents and pollution in the city.

Meanwhile, the district administration of Kamrup Metro has issued a list of proposed designated places in the city for selling retail fire crackers during the Diwali days.

The places are old jail campus, Pandu College field, Dispur College field, below the Ganeshguri, Bhangagarh and Sixmile flyovers, Geetanagar field, Beltola market, Borbari ME School field, Udayan Krishti Sangha field, Lal Ganesh field, Rajdhar Borah Higher Secondary School field, Bonda Bihu field, Chandrapur Higher Secondary School field, Sonapur Mini Stadium, Khetri Gaon Panchayat field, Ulubari Girls� Higher Secondary School field, Pachim Boragaon Prathamik Vidyalaya field, Pub Guwahati High School field and Kachamari Ghat.

Next Story