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Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, left, and Minister of Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein shake hands at a press conference at the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Port of Spain, on August 15. - Photo by Faith AyoungTHE country’s main anti-noise pressure group keenly welcomed the government’s ban on noisy fireworks, as announced earlier on August 15, ahead of Independence Day on August 31.
Lindy-Ann Bachoo, vice president of Citizens Against Noise Pollution (CANPTT), told Newsday she welcomed the statement by the Ministry of Homeland Security, which was later confirmed at a briefing held by Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander and Minister of Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein.
“CANPTT is absolutely heartened and pleased by the government’s decision to actually minimise disturbances from noise pollution by fireworks.
“For the past decade or so there have been a number of serious casualties resulting from the use of fireworks.”
She recalled the case of a mother (Sally-Ann Cuffie) whose thumbs were blown off when someone threw a firework into her car on Divali night in 2016.
“We are absolutely heartened now, because for the last decade or so, there has been a lack of initiative and willpower by the previous government in actually tackling the fireworks recommendations that would have come from the EMA (Environmental Management Authority) which held consultations a couple of years ago.”
Bachoo said the announcement was the first official act to recognise that the use of fireworks had burgeoned into a practice that she said was now “absolutely unregulated...
“Especially in residential areas, children, the elderly and animals are impacted. Animals are impacted severely by the noise emitted from fireworks.”
She said the initiative was in keeping with First World development standards to curb noise pollution.
“The World Health Organisation has said noise pollution is the second worst form of pollution affecting health after air pollution.”
Bachoo said, “We hope it will be looked at as well in the coming months, because we have Divali coming up and we have Old Year’s Night.”
These periods of heightened noise were very damaging to animals, infants and the elderly, she added. “We want to applaud the government on tackling this issue. Well done!
“CANPTT applauds the government’s efforts as there has been a lack of political willpower to tackle noise pollution by previous administrations and to regulate fireworks and to implement recommendations based on the EMA’s submission of fireworks survey.”
The Animals 360 Foundation has also welcomed government’s decision to cancel state-sponsored fireworks for this year’s Independence Day celebrations and only issue permits for the sale of silent fireworks.
In a WhatsApp comment. Animals 360 founder Roger Marshall said, “This is great and welcome news for all peace loving, compassionate citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and even moreso for the animals of our nation.’
He added, “It’s this compassionate leadership that we have lacked in order to mould a caring society.”
Marshall said, “We look forward with optimism to a safe and peaceful future which wasn’t possible before.”
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