The Kolkata Police on Monday intensified their crackdown to curb the bursting of illegal firecrackers as the city choked under thick smoke following Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations. A total of 640 people were arrested for various offences, including the bursting of banned firecrackers.
According to senior officials, 451 persons were detained for disorderly behaviour, 183 for bursting banned firecrackers, and six for gambling. Traffic authorities also prosecuted 882 offenders for violations such as not wearing helmets while riding pillion, bursting firecrackers in restricted zones, rash driving, and public disorder. Ninety-nine motorists were booked for drunk driving, while 156 faced penalties for violating other traffic and safety rules.
Police sources said that over 850 kilograms of illegal firecrackers and 68.4 litres of liquor were seized during raids carried out on Monday night across the city.
The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) had permitted only eco-friendly green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm on Kali Puja night. However, reports came in of high-decibel fireworks being burst in several areas, including Bidhannagar, Behala, and Maniktala.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma told mediapersons, “Till 90 decibel it is allowed; beyond that is illegal. We have received complaints and have made several arrests.”
Residents, however, alleged that violations continued unchecked. Priya Mallick, a resident of Bidhannagar, said, “Firecrackers have been burst since Dhanteras. Illegal firecrackers are being used and not a single police patrol was seen. We have senior citizens but no heed is paid to that.”
Similarly, Srinanda Chakrabarty of Tollygunge said, “My mother has asthma. Yesterday, unlike any other year, illegal firecrackers were burst till the early hours, and my mother had difficulty breathing.”
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The city’s air quality also deteriorated sharply. On Sunday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Kolkata ranged between ‘unhealthy’ and ‘poor’. But on Monday, it worsened in Kolkata and Howrah, as firecrackers were burst beyond the permissible hours.
According to the WBPCB, the AQI reached 186 (PM 2.5) at Victoria Memorial, 364 at Belur in Howrah, and 361 at Padmapukur. In Kolkata’s Ballygunge, the AQI touched 173, while it was 169 at Jadavpur and 167 at Rabindra Bharati University in north Kolkata’s Sinthi area at 10 p.m.
At 8 pm on Monday, before the burst of fireworks, the AQI was relatively lower — 164 at Victoria, 159 at Jadavpur, 117 at Fort William, 161 at Belur Math, 102 at Rabindra Bharati University, and 134 at Ballygunge.
Police had issued warnings that strict action would be taken against anyone violating the state’s green fireworks directive.
