HYDERABAD: After the Sakala Janula Samme, which slowed down the city’s pace for about a month, shopkeepers are anxious about cracker sales this Diwali.The rising inflation isn’t helping matters either. Mohammed Azimuddin, a shopkeeper at Ameerpet, is visibly worried. “The prices of crackers have gone up by 30 per cent. Till date, we haven’t had good business. Compared to last year, our sales dipped by 50%,” he explains. But he’s optimistic that the sales may pick up in the next one week. He has some reason to be optimistic for, the city seems to be gradually setting into the festivity mode. Lighting up the hopes of shopkeepers such as Azimuddin is Gajender, a sweetmeat store owner.He celebrates Diwali with gusto every year.He says that last year, he bought crackers worth Rs. 15,000 and this time, has bought it for Rs. 20,000.For him, the festival of lights goes hand in hand with crackers. There are many like him who do do not mind shelling out extra money. Yoganand Reddy, an employee of Chaitanya Junior College, says, “I usually buy crackers worth Rs. 3000-Rs. 4000.This year too, I bought the same amount of crackers.” Another interesting dimension to the festival is that with each passing year, the noise levels around Diwali have come down. In other words, it could be interpreted as a blow to shopkeepers and a boost to the environment. According to the Pollution Control Board, the decibel levels on the day of Diwali in commercial areas came down from 101 in 2006 to 82.89 in 2010. In residential areas, the noise levels came down from 101.3 in residential areas to 87.91 in 2010.
Comments
0 comment