Safety should to be given top priority this Diwali

Hyderabad: Safety is an important aspect of Diwali as often children become careless and end up harming themselves and others in the process. The problem occurs when there is unsupervised bursting of crackers. Due to this, safe and environment friendly celebrations are being advocated for a happy festival.

Dr Dinesh Chirla, director of Intensive Care Services at Rainbow Hospitals said, “Parents must ensure that half-burnt crackers are not left lying around. It has been found that children usually collect these crackers and then try and burst them, which more often than not cause burns. Children need to be counseled to not experiment with firecrackers. Often simple crackers like sparkling lights and zooming rings are found to be the cause for more harm than fun.”

Last year, a three-year-old girl burnt her legs as her dress caught fire when she was standing close to a diya. An avoidable situation that led to six-month-long treatment as her nerve sensations were destroyed in the legs due to the severity of the burns. Such accidents demand that children must be told to maintain a safe distance and also not wear silk dresses, but light cotton clothing. Similarly, women should be careful not to wear heavy silk sarees or dresses.

Elderly people are known to complain of headaches, high blood pressure and sleep disturbances due to the excessive noise levels. There is also a rise in the number of asthma attacks this time of the year, caused by the harmful gases released into the environment which then mix with carbon monoxide from traffic pollution.

Pulmonologist Dr C. Vijay Kumar said, “Those who have asthma must ensure that they have an inhaler at hand and must stay away from crackers and fireworks that give out high and different colored fumes. Sulphur dioxide causes contractions in the respiratory system and it can become severe. Other pollutants also cause burning in the eye and lead to headaches.”

It is best to avoid loud explosions and indulge in simple crackers, which will ensure good health and also safety for all.