Kolkata, Oct. 29 -- The Bengal government on Thursday warned of strict legal action against violations of firecracker norms during Kali Puja and Diwali, stressing the need to balance festive celebrations with public health, safety and environmental concerns.
Home secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh, speaking at Nabanna after a meeting with the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, police and fire services, said only certified green crackers would be permitted between 8 pm and 10 pm on Kali Puja and Diwali. For Chhath Puja, the permitted window is 6 am to 8 am.
She said the prescribed sound limit for green crackers was 125 decibels, while the limit for light-emitting crackers was 90 decibels.
The government has launched an awareness campaign to encourage compliance with noise and pollution norms. Ghosh stressed that enforcement must be backed by public cooperation and that celebrations should not inconvenience others. Restrictions on bursting crackers near hospitals, nursing homes, old-age homes and other designated silence zones must be strictly followed.
Director-general of police Siddh Nath Gupta warned that action would be taken against violations across the supply chain, covering the manufacture, sale and use of illegal firecrackers.
Police would maintain a strict vigil against unauthorised sales in districts, while fire-safety arrangements would be enforced at designated cracker markets.
Gupta also called for close surveillance of sky lanterns, citing accidents involving their use. Environment secretary Sumit Gupta urged people to scan the QR codes on firecracker packaging to verify whether the products were genuinely certified as green crackers.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.