More than 40 calls received in 48 hours about injured and distressed animals due to Diwali firecrackers, says official

More than 40 calls have been received by authorities in the past 48 hours alerting them about injured or displaced animals due to bursting of firecrackers during Diwali, a forest official said on November 13. The injured include animals, birds and reptiles, said Pawan Sharma, founder and president of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare and honorary wildlife warden with the state Forest Department.

"They are distressed due to bursting of firecrackers. A large number of these animals comprise cats and dogs, many of whom get displaced as well," the official said. Despite the Bombay High Court's directive to burst firecrackers only between 8pm and 10pm, the air quality has deteriorated severely, Sharma added.

"Animal rescue teams from Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the forest department and various NGOs operating in the city are on their toes as it is expected that the cases of injured and distressed animals will increase gradually and shall continue for weeks after the festival," he said. "So far we have rescued six birds, two snakes and a turtle with burn injuries. Citizens can report wildlife distress cases to 1926, the toll free helpline of the forest department, and stray domestic distress cases on BMC's 1916 toll free helpline," he informed.