Pollution fears dampen fireworks demand
Print Edition
FIREWORKs sales have been reported as underwhelming just days before the Spring Festival, with public concern about pollution caused by the pyrotechnics appearing to dent demand.
Stalls in Chinese cities are required to obtain permits to sell fireworks and can open only one or two weeks before Chinese New Year’s Eve, which falls on Thursday this year.
In Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong Province, the city’s work safety bureau said the number of stalls that registered for fireworks sales permits this year fell by 30 percent from the 1,900 recorded last year. It puts this decline down to retailers predicting weaker customer demand.
In Beijing, the number of licensed fireworks retailers is down by 12 percent year on year to 1,178 stalls. They opened for business on Saturday.
Chinese people traditionally light firecrackers and fireworks during the Lunar New Year, reflecting the belief that the noise will ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
Traditionalists say this adds to the celebratory spirit during the Spring Festival holiday.
But with regular bouts of smog hitting China in recent years, the contribution of fireworks to air pollution has drawn attention from the public and authorities.
Beijing recorded its highest reading of PM2.5 particles — especially fine and hazardous material — of over 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter after the Chinese New Year’s Eve firework frenzy last year.
The Beijing municipal office on fireworks and firecrackers announced last month that it would issue an emergency ban on fireworks if orange or red alerts for air pollution are issued during this year’s holiday.
An orange alert means air pollution of over 300mg per cubic meter has been forecast for the next 24 hours, or of over 200mg per cubic meter for the next 72 hours.
Residents will receive text messages notifying them of an alert and police will enforce the ban, said an official with Beijing’s public security bureau.
For the first time this year, municipal authorities have also required retailers to record the identity and phone number of buyers purchasing more than five boxes of fireworks.
Meanwhile, posts calling for people not to set off firecrackers are circulating on Chinese social media platforms.
Last year, Shandong recorded 120 smoggy days. Jinan resident Zhang Lu said: “The air is really choking on smoggy days.
“If smog persists during the holiday, I will give up the festival fun,” Zhang added.
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