Onesight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Narayana Nethralaya urge a safe, vision friendly and animal friendly Diwali

Stray dogs and domestic animals face severe distress from firecrackers during Diwali festivals across Bengaluru, Karnataka, prompting urgent safety appeals. Narayana Nethralaya and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation urged citizens to adopt firecracker hygiene and maintain safe distances to protect animal welfare and individual vision health. Narayana Nethralaya pointed to historical data showing high volumes of emergency room admissions involving severe ocular burns, shrapnel injuries, and blast-induced acoustic trauma due to high-decibel explosives. Dr Rohit Shetty, Vice Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya, stated, “Every year during Diwali, our emergency teams witness a significant number of cases involving corneal tears, chemical burns, and deep blast injuries.” Venu Ambati, President of EssilorLuxottica India and Director of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, expressed that preventing festive trauma protects community sight. Clinical reports indicated that thousands of preventable vision-threatening injuries occur annually. Citizens and community feeders can promote safety rules and protect community dogs from loud noises and sudden flashes during celebrations.