Chairman of West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), Dr Kalyan Rudra referred to the Supreme Court order on banning fireworks in Delhi and said that a similar ruling would be better for Kolkata as well.
“It has been a landmark order by the Supreme Court and looking at the pollution caused in Bengal – both noise and air pollution – in those two days of Diwali and Kali puja, I believe it would be very good if there was a similar ruling for Kolkata as well,” Dr Rudra said, talking to DNA on Thursday.
He said that the PCB didn’t not have enough power to put a blanket ban fireworks and thus had to be content by setting a decibel limit on the sound of fireworks. “We have to work within the acts and rules and thus could only set a limit of 90 decibel on the sound limit. To put it that in action we had to win a legal battle,” he said and appealed to people to avoid bursting of fireworks because he felt that if the trend was not checked Kolkata too would be following Delhi where, till last Diwali, people had to buy masks along with fireworks. “The situation is fast going that way. Already we see many people buying masks ahead of Diwali. Particulate matter in air in Kolkata, during those two days is more than double the permissible limit. Even sitting inside an air-conditioned room would not help as it doesn’t purify the air. It only cools it,” Dr Rudra said.
He urged people to avoid fireworks totally. For those who can't, he requested them to stick to the decibel level and for the sake of neighbours and elderly, they should not burst crackers between 10 pm and 6 am.
Environmentalist and green crusader Subhash Dutta said they were already in the process of filing a petition at the Supreme Court. Talking to DNA Dutta said that the petition would be in reference to Article 48A of the Indian Constitution which is regarding protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife. “We are a single country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and there cannot be a separate ruling for Delhi compared to the rest of the country. We will appeal for the ban to be implemented uniformly across the country. The petition is being readied but since October 13 is the last working day of the Apex Court, it will have to be placed at the division bench,” he said.
