Fireworks are low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays, combining a large number of devices in an outdoor setting. Such displays are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations, though mismanagement could lead to fireworks accidents.
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". Diwali is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin and Kartika—between around mid-September and mid-November. The celebrations generally last five or six days.
A skyrocket is a type of firework that uses a solid-fuel rocket to rise quickly into the sky; a bottle rocket is a small skyrocket. At the apex of its ascent, it is usual for a variety of effects to be emitted. Skyrockets use various stabilisation techniques to ensure the flight follows a predictable course, often a long stick attached to the side of the motor, but also including spin-stabilisation or fins.
A firecracker is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to this goal. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to contain the explosive compound. Firecrackers, along with fireworks, originated in China.
Section 377 is a British colonial penal code that criminalized all sexual acts "against the order of nature". The law was used to prosecute people engaging in oral and anal sex along with homosexual activity. As per a Supreme Court Judgement since 2018, the Indian Penal Code Section 377 is used to convict non-consensual sexual activities among homosexuals with a minimum of ten years’ imprisonment extended to life imprisonment. It has been used to criminalize third gender people, such as the apwint in Myanmar. In 2018, then British Prime Minister Theresa May acknowledged how the legacies of such British colonial anti-sodomy laws continue to persist today in the form of discrimination, violence, and even death.
Tihar is a five-day Hindu festival of Diwali celebrated in Nepal and the Indian regions of Sikkim and Gorkhaland, which host a large number of ethnic Indian Gorkhas.
"Black snake" is a term that can refer to at least three similar types of fireworks: the Pharaoh's snake, the sugar snake, or a popular retail composition marketed under various product names but usually known as "black snake". The "Pharaoh's snake" or "Pharaoh's serpent" is the original version of the black snake experiment. It produces a more impressive snake, but its execution depends upon mercury (II) thiocyanate, which is no longer in common use due to its toxicity. For a "sugar snake", sodium bicarbonate and sugar are the commonly used chemicals.
Consumer fireworks are fireworks sold for use by the general public. They are generally weaker in explosive power than the fireworks used in professional displays.
Naraka Chaturdashi is an annual Hindu festival that falls on Chaturdashi of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin or Kartika. It is the second day of the five-day long festival of Diwali. Hindu literature narrates that the asura (demon) Narakasura was killed on this day by Krishna and Satyabhama. The day is celebrated by early morning religious rituals, and festivities follow on.
Manoj Kumar Tiwari is an Indian politician, singer and actor serving as a Member of Parliament from North East Delhi. He contested the 2009 general election as a Samajwadi Party candidate from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha but lost to Yogi Adityanath. Again, he contested 2014 Indian general elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and won. He was appointed as Delhi BJP president in 2016. He was the head of the BJP organisation in Delhi when the party recorded a record victory in 2017 MCD elections.
Environmental problems in Delhi, India, are a threat to the well-being of the city's and area's inhabitants as well as the flora and fauna. Delhi, the ninth-most populated metropolis in the world (second largest if the entire NCR includes especially Faridabad and Gurugram– Haryana, is one of the most heavily polluted cities in India, having for instance one of the country's highest volumes of particulate matter pollution. The air quality index of Delhi is generally Good, Satisfactory and Moderate levels between March and September, and then it drastically deteriorates to Poor, Severe, or Hazardous levels in five months between October and February, due to various factors including stubble burning, burning of effigies during Vijayadashami, bursting of firecrackers burning during Diwali and cold weather. In May 2014 the World Health Organization announced New Delhi as the most polluted city in the world.
Awaaz Foundation is a charitable trust and non-governmental organisation in Mumbai, India which builds awareness, carries out advocacy, and is involved in educational projects to protect the environment and prevent environmental pollution. It has impacted many important decisions by the government and influenced policy making in important environmental matters in India. The beneficiaries of the Foundation are the citizens of India at large.
The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables the creation of a special tribunal for the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues. It draws inspiration from Article 21 of India's constitution, on the protection of life and personal liberty, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment. This Act serves as the basis for the establishment of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Stubble burning is the practice of intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, such as rice and wheat, have been harvested. The technique is still widespread today.
Environmental issues in Kolkata refers to the air pollution, water pollution, garbage problems, and other problems of the natural environment prevalent in the city of Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It severely affects Kolkata's biophysical environment as well as human health.
The air quality in Delhi, the capital territory of India, according to a WHO survey of 1,650 world cities, and a survey of 7,000 world cities by the US-based Health Effects Institute in August 2022, is the worst of any major city in the world. It also affects the districts around Delhi. Air pollution in India is estimated to kill about 2 million people every year; it is the fifth largest killer in India. India has the world's highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma, according to the WHO. In Delhi, poor quality air irreversibly damages the lungs of 2.2 million or 50 percent of all children.
Fireworks Bans in China refers to the present government policies that ban the use of fireworks in many cities in China.
Legislative Assembly elections were held in Delhi on 8 February 2020 to elect 70 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. Voters turnout was recorded at 62.82%, a decline of 4.65% from the previous assembly election in Delhi but 2.2% more than the 2019 Indian general election in Delhi. The term of the assembly elected in 2015 expired on 22 February 2020. The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal won 62 seats to claim an absolute majority in the elections.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a statutory body in India that deals with expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and other natural resources. It was set up under the National Green Tribunal Act in 2010. India is the third country in the world, after Australia and New Zealand, to set up a statutory body for environmental protection. It's national headquarters is in New Delhi and the regional headquarters of the tribunal are situated in the cities of Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai.
Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health (ECIPH) is a Mangalore based academic and research institute focused on global health and policy.
