Mumbai:
The government's directive to Mumbaikars to refrain from using firecrackers is not confined to environmental concerns alone.
The police, the agency responsible to implement the diktat, wants people to show restraint also because it coincides with the arrival of US president Barack Obama.
The security establishment wants to ensure there are no false alarms raised because of crackers, sending everyone into a frenzy.
The overworked police department has come to terms with the fact that they have to forego their festival celebrations. An administrative official in the police department was heard saying, "It is strange we have no sense of timing. Earlier, we held the CWG during Navratri. The nine-day Ramlilas which dot the capital were missing as there was a ban on the celebrations to ensure smooth traffic. Now, we have the US president's visit coinciding with Diwali."