Diwali celebrations in New Jersey: Viral video of firefighters dousing crackers draws mixed response
New Jersey: A viral video of firefighters spraying water in an area of a street where a Diwali cracker had been burst has attracted mixed reactions from netizens in spite of a clarification by the person who posted the clip that it was a safety measure.
The clip, shared by an Indian living in New Jersey, Mukul Verma, on his Instagram page, shows Indians celebrating Diwali by bursting crackers on a street before the firefighters intervened to spray water in the area.
Some social media users took the action by the firefighters in good spirit; some welcomed it and also criticized Indians for not changing their thinking style. A few netizens criticized the move, saying Indians were not permitted to celebrate their festivals.
A user reminded that local laws were not to be broken and any action that makes native people uncomfortable was not to be taken, as it would only spread more hatred for Indians and lead to unnecessary closure of job and education opportunities for all.
“It's really surprising that we Indians can't really mend our ways. Either it's in India or foreign lands we behave in a same manner and then we say that the worldwide criticism that we receive is not right (sic),” said another netizen.
On the other hand, a user took objection, saying Americans too burst crackers during New Year.
Verma posted a response in the comments sections supporting the firefighters, saying, “Just to clarify — this Diwali celebration was fully permitted by the state, and fireworks were officially allowed. All safety measures like roadblocks, ambulance & fire brigade were arranged by the city. Someone from the crowd suddenly lit skyshots which weren’t allowed, so the fire brigade sprayed water only for safety — not to stop Diwali. The police were managing the crowd. Please don’t spread hate; Diwali is about light, love & unity (sic)”
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
