Kolkata, Nov. 9 -- Adding fuel to the firecracker row, one BJP MLA sparked controversy by claiming: "You will see that bursting firecrackers will cure several diseases," while another struck a contrasting note, saying: "So loud are the crackers that my heart is pounding." Their remarks came as Kolkata endured a night of unabated Diwali revelry, with high-decibel crackers exploding across neighbourhoods long after the permitted 8 pm-10 pm window, laying bare the administration's failure to enforce its own restrictions.

In several areas, celebrations continued till dawn, leaving residents, particularly elderly citizens, children and animals struggling with noise and deteriorating air quality. The violations came even as Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Agnimitra Paul took to the streets on a late-night patrol.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, however, maintained that noise pollution was largely under control. Acknowledging that crackers were burst at some places after 10 pm, he said police had taken action against violators.

Dismissing complaints, he remarked that those raising them were "communists" and questioned why people celebrating Diwali with green crackers should be a problem.

The controversy was further fuelled by BJP MLA Papiya Adhikari's remarks at a Kali Puja inauguration in Tollygunge. "You will see that bursting firecrackers will cure several diseases," she said, even as crackers went off loudly during her speech.

Meanwhile, Agnimitra Paul, who experienced the noise firsthand as a South Kolkata resident, joined police personnel on a night patrol. Travelling in a police vehicle, she appealed to people to consider the elderly and sick.

"So loud are the crackers that my heart is pounding," she said.

Paul continued the patrol till around 2 am. BJP MLA Roopa Ganguly also tagged Kolkata Police in a social media post, asking when the deafening noise would stop and saying she could not sleep. She subsequently deleted the post.

Kolkata Police arrested 205 people for allegedly bursting banned firecrackers on Sunday night and seized 238.6 kg of prohibited crackers. However, violations continued across several neighbourhoods on Monday.

The noise was accompanied by a sharp deterioration in air quality. CPCB data showed the city's average AQI at around 150 at 10 pm, with Jadavpur recording 174, Ballygunge 171, Fort William 165, Bidhannagar 144, Victoria Memorial 134 and Rabindra Sarobar 107. Overnight PM2.5 levels also crossed 300 in Salt Lake, Ballygunge and Jadavpur.

Environmentalists reported noise levels exceeding 80 decibels at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, around 100 decibels at Dr BC Roy Children's Hospital and 58.2 decibels at SSKM Hospital, against the prescribed nighttime limit of 40 decibels in silence zones.

Environmentalist Swati Nandi Chakraborty termed the high noise and air pollution levels alarming, stressing that community awareness was as important as administrative action. She said schools, colleges and other institutions must take the lead in launching awareness campaigns against banned firecrackers and pollution.

Animals, too, bore the brunt. Veterinarians reported continuous calls from pet owners over panic, vomiting and distress among animals. Vet Tousif Khan said that despite suggesting preventive measures, he had come across two cases of animal deaths. "Without postmortem examinations, the exact cause cannot be established. However, exposure to high-volume firecrackers can contribute to such deaths," he said. Another veterinarian, Dipak Dey, reported several cases of bird deaths.

A rescuer and stray-dog feeder, Rupali Lodh, who looks after around 50 community dogs, said nearly half were missing from their usual spots on Monday. A pet parent said her 14-year-old cat continued shivering until midnight following the deafening celebrations.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.