Kolkata: Representatives of housing complexes on Saturday urged police and state pollution control board (PCB) officials to crack down on illegal firecracker markets, questioning why residents were repeatedly asked to follow safety norms while unauthorised sellers continued to operate openly across the city.
At a coordination meeting attended by police officers and PCB officials, resident welfare association (RWA) representatives from 40 housing complexes said they could ensure compliance within their premises but had little control over the source of firecrackers sold in the market.
A senior RWA member of Silver Spring complex said the association had circulated advisories among residents and was trying to ensure compliance with all the stipulations. However, the official said, the association had limited control over individual residents if illegal crackers remained freely available in the market. The cops should just ensure no illegal crackers are sold in the market, and the rest can be taken care of by us,” the official said. There is no fun in polluting the environment,” he said.
They also questioned whether buying crackers from designated Bazi Baazars was enough to guarantee that the products were legal and safe. The issue has particular resonance for South City residents. The residents maintained that they had purchased the crackers from a Bazi Baazar. “We can only advise but cannot control all residents. PCB member secretary Ashok Pratap Singh urged housing societies to ensure that residents, particularly children, did not burst banned crackers. “Please remember there are ailing people and senior citizens who will be inconvenienced if rules are broken.
During Kali Puja last year, Kolkata Police seized firecrackers from the complex and allegedly apprehended a group of residents for bursting illegal crackers.
The accumulated pollutants will remain in the air for long, and this is the air we will breathe,” an official said. Residents were also briefed on the impact of firecracker emissions on air quality. “Air quality has already started deteriorating. Emissions from crackers will only worsen the situation.