New Delhi: With India's biggest festival Diwali approaching, a majority of citizens surveyed supported a ban on crackers after 10 pm and said that the rule must be enforced by the civic bodies and the police.

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"As many as 92 per cent citizens said that they would fully support the no-sound cracker ban after 10 p.m.," according to a survey conducted by LocalCircles.

With a participation of more than 8,000 people in the survey, some said that bursting crackers is a part of an age-old tradition, many have been advocating against it due to the strong reasons of pain and agony it causes to the environment, animals and the elderly. 

The air quality in many major cities of India has already declined with cities such as Delhi in the deep red colour per global air quality standards.

"Citizens feel that the sound emitting crackers causes a lot of pollution as well as cause much discomfort to those living in the area."

In the process of raising the issue, the community engagement platform LocalCircles took many other inputs regarding it and found that many people want the enforcement of the rule on weddings and functions throughout the year.

Citizens have recommended that municipalities via ward councillors should initiate a vigorous awareness campaign in their areas and also that residents associations should strictly impose the judgement and act against the members who violates the condition 

Recommendations also include a fine of Rs 5,000 on violating the rule and awareness among school children. 

Many feel that advertisements should be released on television, radio and newspapers so that the message could reach maximum number of people