Anti-noise pollution group supports decision on fireworks show

Citizens Against Noise Pollution Trinidad and Tobago (CANPTT) has welcomed the Government’s decision not to have the state-sponsored fireworks display for Independence Day this year.

In a statement, CANPTT said the decision addresses longstanding concerns about the effects of fireworks on citizens and communities. The group noted that fireworks have been a source of distress for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, persons with disabilities, and pet owners.

CANPTT also highlighted risks associated with fireworks, including bodily harm and property damage. The organisation recalled several incidents over the past decade that underscored the need for stronger regulation. These included a seven-year-old boy in Arima who sustained burns in 2019 when a firework landed in his yard, a teenager in San Fernando who lost partial vision in 2017 after a premature explosion, a Laventille family whose home was destroyed by a fire in 2015, and two children in Chaguanas who were hospitalised in 2013 after suffering hand injuries.

The organisation described the move as a victory for citizens.