Shas­tri Boodan

GML Cor­re­spon­dent

Di­vali Na­gar 2023 will not close with the much-an­tic­i­pat­ed fire­works dis­play, as the Na­tion­al Coun­cil of In­di­an Cul­ture (NCIC) has de­cid­ed to ac­cede to pub­lic ap­peals to stop the noise from fire­works.

NCIC pres­i­dent De­oroop Teemal, who is al­so an In­de­pen­dent Sen­a­tor, said yes­ter­day that this will be the sec­ond straight year there will be no fire­works.

Speak­ing dur­ing an in­ter­view at the Na­gar at En­deav­our, Ch­agua­nas, Teemal said the NCIC de­cid­ed to stop the an­nu­al fire­works dis­play be­cause of the nu­mer­ous com­plaints they have re­ceived be­cause of the noise and its ef­fects on pets and the el­der­ly. He said the com­mu­ni­ty sur­round­ing the Na­gar is grow­ing and the NCIC is aware of the chal­lenges.

Over the last few years there have been grow­ing com­plaints and calls for ac­tion, as cit­i­zens and sev­er­al groups have been lob­by­ing for an end to fire­works, typ­i­cal­ly used to com­mem­o­rate ma­jor hol­i­days around the coun­try.

Teemal said the NCIC may look in­to stag­ing a laser light show in place of the fire­works once they can get a spon­sor. As for fund­ing, he said the NCIC re­ceived a $500,000 grant in 2022 from the Gov­ern­ment and ex­pects the same amount this year.

“I know a sub­ven­tion was ap­proved by the Gov­ern­ment,” he said.

He said the pri­vate sec­tor and the rental of booths should al­so bring in much-need­ed cash to up­grade the in­fra­struc­ture at the site.
He said there had been a 15 per cent in­crease in ven­dors at the site com­pared to last year.

Re­gard­ing the traf­fic prob­lems to get in­to and out of the Na­gar, Teemal said the NCIC has hired po­lice and pri­vate se­cu­ri­ty. He said there will al­so be am­ple park­ing.

The Na­gar opens to­mor­row at 5 pm and runs up to No­vem­ber 11.