Kolkata, Oct 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) West Bengal on Thursday announced a fresh set of guidelines regulating the use of firecrackers during Kali Puja and Chhath Puja, stressing the need to balance festive celebrations with environmental protection and public safety.
West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Siddh Nath Gupta and state Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh announced the new measures at a press conference in the state secretariat at Nabanna, Kolkata, on Thursday.
According to the administration's instructions, only environmentally friendly 'green crackers' will be allowed to be burst during Kali Puja and Chhath Puja.
The maximum sound limit for loud crackers has been set at 125 decibels and 90 decibels for other varieties.
Crackers may be burst between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Kali Puja and between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. during Chhath Puja.
Residents of multi-storeyed buildings have also been advised to monitor smoke levels while using firecrackers.
In addition, the government has made it mandatory to obtain a license from the Fire Department to fly paper lanterns.
As per the new guideline, bursting of firecrackers within 100 metres of hospitals and old age homes is completely prohibited.
Firecracker markets should be set up away from localities as per the rules set by the administration, and strict surveillance will be maintained on them.
The Kolkata police on Thursday said that 110 kg of banned firecrackers have been recovered from the market and action is being taken against the culprits.
The DGP has stated that legal punitive action will be taken if the rules are violated. The state administration has also provided a helpline for citizens to report violations.
Emphasising public responsibility, the Home Secretary urged people to celebrate responsibly and ensure that their festivities do not inconvenience or endanger others. She appealed to citizens to strictly adhere to the new guidelines.
Source: IANS
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