Chandigarh: Crackers worth Rs. 2 cr sold for Diwali

Aggarwal said that all of them are selling only green crackers as asked by the government. “There are QR codes on each box and people can check the validity of the same,” he said. As many as 20 sellers have been allowed to sell green crackers at Dussehra ground, Sector 43, 16 at Sector 46 ground, seven each at Sector 43 ground and Sector 33 C ground, six at Sector 24 ground, five at Sector 29 ground, eight at Car Bazar ground, Mani Majra, 14 at open ground, Mani Majra, seven at Sector 20 Masjid Ground, two each at Sector 49 and mandi ground at Sector 45, and one each at Sector 48 and Sector 28.

Price hike in firecrackers

Prices of the green crackers have increased by around 40 per cent. The sellers association stated that green crackers are around 30 per cent more expensive than traditional ones and after adding the profit margin, they will cost about 40 per cent more to the consumer.

“People are buying more anars and matki anars this time. A box of seven to eight anars, which was initially about Rs 200, is costing Rs 260 this time. There is a hike in the rates this year,” Aggarwal said. He added that the licenses given during the last minute also made the traders shell out a bit more.

“If a trader had to purchase material worth Rs 80,000, that cost them a total of Rs 1.50 lakh because the permission was given only in the last few days and wholesalers then charged accordingly,” he said.

Police teams have been constituted to check any violation after 10 pm. The Chandigarh administration has allowed permission only from 8 to 10 pm, which is a two hour window. In various sectors, patrolling parties have been constituted to check any violation of the cracker bursting. The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee will also keep a check on the pollution levels on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to draw a comparison with the previous year’s Diwali when the cracker ban was in place.

What to do in case of burns?

Quite often, the joyous mood of Diwali is marred by accidental burns while lighting firecrackers. Dr Vikas Sharma, Chief Consultant Dermatologist and Dermato-Laser Surgeon, National Skin Hospital, Mansa Devi Complex, said that 95 per cent of burns are accidental and 80 per cent burn victims are children because these accidents often happen at home. With a little care, therefore, these accidents can be avoided.

Further, when the injuries are on the face, hands or arms, 40 per cent of burns are on children below the age of 18 years.

First aid for superficial burns

•  Remove the injured person from the heat source
•  Remove clothing from the burned area immediately
•  Run cool (not cold) water over the burned area. If water is not available, any cold, drinkable fluid can be used) or hold a clean, cold compress on the burn for approximately 10 to 15 minutes (do not use ice, as it may cause the burn to take longer to heal). Do not apply butter, grease, powder, toothpaste, flour dough, oil, etc., or any other remedies to the burn. Instead, apply topical antibiotic like silver sulphadiazine and soframycin. The aim is to dissipate the heat, the home remedies will keep the heat locked inside and in addition this increases the risk of infection.

• If the burnt area is small, loosely cover it with a sterile gauze pad or bandage.
• If the area affected is small (the size of a quarter or smaller), keep the area clean and continue to use cool compresses and a loose dressing over the next 24 hours.

Seek medical help immediately when:

• The burnt area is large, even if it seems like a minor burn. For any burn that appears to cover more than 10 per cent of the body, call for medical assistance. Don’t use wet compresses because they can cause the body temperature to drop. Instead, cover the area with a clean, soft cotton cloth or sterile bandage.
• The burn is on the face, scalp, hands, joint surfaces, or genitalia
• The burn looks infected (with swelling, pus, increasing redness, or red streaking of the skin near the wound)