Indians celebrate festival of light amid COVID-19 fears

NEW DELHI: Indians throughout the nation started celebrating Diwali, the Hindu competition of lights, on Thursday amid considerations over the coronavirus pandemic and rising air air pollution.
Diwali is often celebrated by socializing and exchanging presents with household and associates. Many mild oil lamps or candles to represent a victory of sunshine over darkness, and fireworks are set off as a part of the celebrations.
Final yr, celebrations in India have been upended by a renewed spike in COVID-19 infections, however festivities this yr appear to be again. Regardless that the federal government has requested individuals to keep away from giant gatherings, markets have been buzzing forward of Diwali, with keen crowds shopping for flowers, lanterns and candles.
As nightfall fell on Wednesday, over 900,000 earthen lamps have been lit and stored burning for 45 minutes within the northern metropolis of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh state, retaining the Guinness World Report it set final yr. As a part of the Diwali celebrations, town final yr lit 606,569 oil lamps.
The lamps have been lit at Ram ki Pauri, on the banks of Saryu River, a surprising spectacle for hundreds of tourists who thronged its shores whereas ignoring coronavirus social distancing norms. A laser and fireworks present adopted, illuminating town’s lanes and river banks. Hundreds of metropolis residents additionally lit lamps at their homes and temples.
The competition is being celebrated at a time when India’s pandemic disaster has largely subsided.
On Thursday, the nation recorded over 12,000 new coronavirus circumstances and 461 deaths, a far cry from earlier this yr when India buckled beneath a couple of hundred thousand new infections on daily basis. Total, it has recorded greater than 35 million infections and over 459,000 deaths, in response to the Well being Ministry. These figures, as elsewhere, are possible undercounts.
Even states the place infections have been swelling a couple of weeks in the past, reminiscent of Kerala alongside the tropical Malabar Coast, have seen a sustained decline. India additionally celebrated administering its billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose final month, additional boosting confidence that life is returning to regular.
Nonetheless, consultants have warned that the competition season might carry a renewed spike in infections if COVID-19 well being measures aren’t enforced.
There are additionally worries over air air pollution, which usually shrouds northern India beneath a poisonous gray smog at the moment as temperatures dip and winter settles in.
On Diwali night time, individuals additionally lit up the sky with firecrackers — their smoke inflicting air pollution that takes days to clear.
Whereas there isn’t a nationwide ban on bursting firecrackers, various states have imposed restrictions to stem the air pollution, with some permitting their residents to mild inexperienced crackers for a sure variety of hours. Inexperienced crackers produce lesser emissions than regular firecrackers. Prior to now, comparable bans have typically been flouted.