Celebrate Diwali but with care and caution.
If Friday night was any indication, Kolkatans not so fond of crackers may not like what could follow.
The air quality has already dropped to very poor in many monitoring stations.
The Telegraph gives a low down on what’s allowed and what’s not.
Is bursting crackers okay?
Calcutta High Court has said only green fireworks are allowed and they can be burst within a two-hour window on Diwali day.
“There shall be a complete ban on the sale and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers, except green crackers in the state of West Bengal,” the court said. The state pollution control board has issued orders mentioning the high court’s directives.
What are green crackers?
The website of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) mentions that green crackers are “made with reduction in size of shell, elimination of ash usage etc., reduced usage of raw materials in the compositions, of uniform acceptable quality, and/or use of additives as dust suppressants to reduce emissions.” It adds that these fireworks ensure at least a 30 per cent reduction in the emission of particulate matter (PM).
Is there a time limit for bursting green crackers?
Yes. The court’s order mentioned that green crackers can be burst only for “two hours during Deepawali festival from 8pm to 10pm”.
How would I identify a green cracker?
The only way to identify a green cracker is by scanning the QR code on the box.
Any scanner can be used for this. On scanning the code, a certificate should be generated mentioning the name and nature of the fireworks, details like the name and address of the manufacturer, chemical composition of the fireworks and the percentage of reduction in emission, a police officer said.
The certificate generated should be on the letterhead of the Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR)-NEERI and should bear the official seal of the authorised signatory of CSIR-NEERI.
What is the punishment for not following the orders?
A person found bursting a banned cracker can be prosecuted under The Explosives Substances Act. “If found guilty, the person can be imprisoned for a term that may go up to three years,” said a police officer.
If anyone is found bursting a cracker beyond the stipulated hours, the person will be booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying an order by a public servant. “The person can be imprisoned for up to 6 months,” said the officer. The Explosives Substances Act can be added if the person is found bursting a banned cracker.
Where can I complain if the orders are not followed?
Complaints can be lodged with the police or the state pollution control board.
Emergency phone numbers:
Kolkata police control room: 22143230
Kolkata police traffic control room: 22143644
Bidhannagar commissionerate control room: 23358788
Howrah city police control room: 2637-4761, 2637-4762, 2641-5614, 2640-4001
Barrackpore city police: 2593-2647, 2545-5030
Emergency helpline: 100
Fire brigade control room: 22861570, 22521165
State pollution control board control room: 22023064, 22023057 (these numbers will remain in operation between 5pm and midnight on Sunday, and between 5pm and 11pm on Monday)
Metro services on Diwali
Nothing special. Metro Railway will run 132 trains on the North-South corridor on Diwali instead of the usual Sunday count of 130. The first trains will leave Dakshineswar and New Garia at 9am. The last trains will leave the terminal stations at 10pm, said an official. There will be no services on the East-West and Joka-Majerhat corridors.
What is the weather going to be like?
The Met office has ruled out rain on Sunday. But the sky is likely to be gloomy in parts because of the pollution. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 30 and 21 degrees Celsius, according to the Met forecast.
