Calcutta HC goes by Supreme Court, allows green crackers a 2-hour window – Times of India

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday went along with the Supreme Court order, allowing only green crackers during the Kali Puja-Diwali celebrations for two hours on Thursday evening. The court also warned that the state would be held accountable if there were violations.
Following the order, the state pollution control board (PCB) issued a notification reiterating the ban on import, purchase, sale, storage and use of all types of fireworks except green fireworks in the state.
A PCB official clarified that no manufacturer in the state had yet received certification by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to make fireworks, without which a firework cannot be called “green”.
Manufactures and traders of fireworks, however, told the court on Wednesday that only NEERI-certified crackers would be sold in the state. A section of manufactures and traders had earlier claimed that most fireworks manufactured in the state were green, despite not being certified by NEERI.
Sara Paschim Banga Atasbaji Unnayan Samity (SPBAUS), a federation of fireworks manufacturing organisations in the state, had moved Supreme Court to get green fireworks approved for use after Calcutta High Court issued a blanket ban on fireworks.
On Wednesday, the high court vacation bench of justices Rajashekhar Mantha and Keshang Doma Bhutia agreed to the use of green crackers, but desisted from issuing any additional directions as they felt that doing so at the last moment would make implementation difficult for the state. The judges also acknowledged the challenge. “This court is conscious of the fact that it is not possible to inspect and ensure that green crackers are being used at every nook and corner of the state. However, all necessary efforts must be made by the state to ensure that,” the court observed, adding that the responsibility of enforcement of the orders of the Supreme Court and the NGT had already been fixed on the home secretary and the commissioners and superintendents of police.
The court also stressed on the importance and need for maintaining a clean environment and clean air and said it was everyone’s responsibility. “All citizens must follow and ensure that even the green firecrackers used do not cause discomfort to others. Suitable awareness campaigns must be undertaken by all stakeholders. Self-imposed restrictions must be aggressively encouraged,” read the order.
During the day, Kolkata Police went to localities and high-rises to explain to residents how to identify and purchase green crackers, and advised everyone to avoid bursting other crackers that could lead to arrest and penalty.
In the court, lawyer Srijib Chakraborty, representing cracker manufacturers and traders, said his clients had given an undertaking that no crackers except green ones — carrying licence and certification of NEERI and PESO with QR code on box that can be scanned using a suitable scanner to check for authenticity — would be sold. But on the ground, there was widespread clandestine sale of banned crackers. The pollution board and Kolkata Police later issued phone numbers of control rooms that had been set up to register complaints and take action.
Apart from having mobile monitoring squads all across the city, the pollution board has extended its control room operation timings till Friday morning. “We used to end the control room at 2am. But our previous experience is that there is a spike in cracker use post-midnight. Hence, the extension,” explained an official.
Police have also chalked out hotspots, where attempt at violation will draw immediate response. Covid hospitals are of highest priority, where special forces have been deployed. Policemen are also keeping a watch on apartments and high-rises, where Covid patients are in home isolation. Slums will also be monitored to prevent use of sound-polluting crackers. The cops have kept 115 autorickshaws ready for surveillance at select spots.