Dehradun: Ahead of upcoming Diwali festival, authorities in Uttarakhand have imposed a ban on bursting of firecrackers around the Dehradun in a bid to prevent the adverse effects of air and noise pollution, official sources said. Dehradun Zoo is home to many wildlife animals. Being located in an urban area, the animals inside the zoo are prone to air pollution and noise pollution too may be affected.
Therefore, the zoo administration has started taking precautionary measures before the situation worsens, said an official. An official said that the zoo administration has started making people aware about the adverse effects of air and noise pollution on the wild animals at the zoo even before the arrival of Diwali by holding an awareness campaign.
Also read: Dehradun zoo administration makes special arrangements to protect animals from cold
Sources said that the zoo administration has decided to impose a complete ban on bursting of fireworks around the zoo. People are being asked to come forward to make the festival environment friendly by not using fireworks on Diwali. Like elsehwhere, air pollution worsens in Dehradun during winters with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 300 during Diwali.
During this time, air pollution is at its peak in the surrounding areas also. Due to its proximity to the highway in Dehradun, Dehradun Zoo also remains close to heavy traffic making it vulnerable to air and noise pollution. Efforts are being made to save the wild life, so that air pollution does not have any impact on the hundreds of wild animals present in Dehradun Zoo.
Besides leopard and deer, many types of birds, more than 15 types of snakes are living in Dehradun zoo. The Uttarakhand government has also posted a veterinarian at the zoo. The veterinarian keeps a special watch on the wildlife regarding pollution also.
