Activist: Govt did nothing on fireworks

NALINI DIAL, animals rights activist, has alleged the Government has done nothing to stop the noise of fireworks that she fears will again terrify dogs and other animals during New Year celebrations.

At a post-Cabinet briefing on November 22, Minister of National Security Stuart Young vowed to ban scratch bombs, in line with a Cabinet decision, but several times since has said he was still consulting on exactly how to do this using the import restrictions of the Explosives Act.

Dial said, “He was supposed to have banned it, but we still got a problem with very loud fireworks being sold all over.”

She lamented that nothing seemed to have been done. “Yesterday was the big Boxing Day sale. People are still being disturbed.”

Dial called for a total ban on all types of noisy fireworks, on top of the notoriously loud scratch bombs.

“We say ban it outright.

"Dogs have hearing that is ten times as sensitive as ours. Even the little fireworks the dogs are afraid of.”

She said that as she does every year, for year-end she will secure her dogs as best as possible from the noise.

“We are still fearful of what will come on Old Year’s Night. I wonder what the Commissioner of Police will do about it.”

Lamenting that TT seems to have a culture of noise, she implored, “Why do we need these loud fireworks? Now they have silent ones people should use instead.”

Contemplating the possibility of legal action to make the Government rein in the noise-makers, Dial said people need to acquire a permit to set off fireworks and she suspected most do not have one.

“All are breaking the law,” she said. “It is now so easy to buy fireworks, with tents set up all over the place. I don’t think he (Young) is serious. He has done nothing.”

Dial wondered at a populace complaining of hard times, yet setting off so many fireworks. “This is foreign exchange going out of the country. What is the need for these fireworks?”