The biggest festival on the Indian calendar is upon us and as wishes pour in from all four corners for Diwali, carmakers are taking this opportunity to also send across a more eco-friendly greeting. Hyundai India in fact has done just that. The company's brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan, in a video message has requested people to stay away from crackers this Diwali. In fact, it was just earlier this month that the Supreme Court ordered a ban on sale of firecrackers during Diwali till November 1, 2017, in the Delhi and National Capital Region, to curb the pollution level in the state.
Pollution has been the biggest talking point this year in India as the government took steps to enforce the BS IV norms in India and in fact even made sure of that. While carmakers like Hyundai have not faced much problem with this, many other manufacturers especially two-wheelers and Commercial vehicle makers faced a ton of issues with their respective inventories. However, a no cracker Diwali is a completely different ball game and with companies like Hyundai and brand ambassadors like Shah Rukh Khan urging the people to go cracker-less this year in terms of celebration, it definitely is a step in the right direction.
In fact, as per a 2016 survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the usage of crackers declined by 20 percent last year but during Diwali the usage was at its peak. Last year, New Delhi breathed in polluted air with particulate matter that was nearly 16 times above the safe limit. As per the National Air Quality Index, pollution levels remained severe on Diwali night in 2016 and owing to a lack of wind, the increasing emissions from crackers did not disperse.
We, at carandbike, too take this opportunity to wish all of you a very happy and safe Diwali and urge you to avoid bursting crackers this year. It's a step in the right direction and Diwali is the best time for new beginnings.
