Kolkata: West Bengal on Thursday announced a fresh set of rules for firecrackers during Kali Puja and Chhath Puja, allowing only environmentally friendly green crackers and fixing strict time windows and sound limits for both festivals.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta and Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh announced the measures at a press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna, in Kolkata. The maximum sound limit has been set at 125 decibels for loud crackers and 90 decibels for other varieties.

125 dBMaximum sound limit for loud crackers
90 dBLimit for other cracker varieties
8–10 pmBursting window on Kali Puja
6–8 amBursting window on Chhath Puja
100 metresNo-cracker zone around hospitals and old-age homes
110 kgBanned firecrackers seized by Kolkata Police

Bursting of firecrackers within 100 metres of hospitals and old-age homes is completely prohibited, residents of multi-storeyed buildings have been advised to keep watch on smoke levels, and flying paper lanterns will now require a licence from the Fire Department. Firecracker markets are to be set up away from residential localities and kept under strict surveillance.

Source: The CSR Journal

Kolkata Police said 110 kg of banned firecrackers have been recovered from the market and action is being taken against those responsible. The DGP warned that legal punitive action will follow if the rules are violated, and the administration has provided a helpline for citizens to report violations.

The Home Secretary appealed to people to celebrate responsibly and ensure their festivities do not inconvenience or endanger others, urging strict adherence to the new guidelines.