Mumbai: Ahead of Diwali, the festival of lights, an animal welfare activist has urged people to take special care of animals and not to harm them by bursting firecrackers. Diwali is being celebrated without restrictions after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic with excitement among the people for the festival celebrations.
However, animal organizations such as Plant and Animal Welfare Society (POS) and Amma Care Foundation are appealing that mute animals should be taken care of while bursting firecrackers. Just like humans, firecrackers can cause injury or even death at times of animals. At times, some miscreants intentionally burst firecrackers to harm the animals.
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Lighted firecrackers are thrown on the limbs of dogs, cats, or other animals. Several such incidents are reported every year on Diwali. Around 200 to 250 animals are reported injured every year in Mumbai alone. Amha Care Foundation President Sunish Kunj appealed to people to celebrate Diwali in an animal-friendly way.
Sunish said that bursting firecrackers to tease the animals and birds leads to injury or even death. “The bursting of firecrackers causes air and noise pollution and also frightens the animals and birds. At times, the pet animals also run outside the house and are mowed down by vehicles. The next of birds are also threatened by the bursting of rockets, so we should think of these animals and celebrate Diwali in an animal-friendly way,” he said.
