Crackers wake up Kol pockets but noise level lower than last year’s
Times of India | 9 November 2024
12 Kolkata: Several pockets of the city, particularly localities situated near water bodies, woke up to crackers being burst before dawn by Chhath revellers. Although the noise was way less than what the city had witnessed during Diwali or even on Thursday evening, it was a rude awakening to the day for many around 4.30 am.
"The bursting of crackers started from 4.30 am and continued well past 8 am. I had come back from office late on Thursday and was planning to sleep in. But it was so chaotic that I was up at 5am," said Palash Saha, a resident of J K Paul Road in Sahapur.
Equally chaotic were neighbourhoods around Posta, Taltala, Narkeldanga, Sarsuna, Bansdroni, Bhowanipore, Anandapur, Kasba and Ultadanaga. PCB had allowed bursting of green crackers within a two-hour window between 6 am and 8 am. TOI found devotees packed on trucks and cars speeding along Esplanade, Kidderpore Road, Red Road and other parts surrounding the Maidan, bursting crackers and playing loud music early in the morning.
"We go for morning walks to enjoy fresh air, peace and tranquillity. But it was so chaotic that I didn't take my usual route around Red Road and Victoria Memorial Hall and instead returned to my Alipore home early," said Ramesh Agarwal, a resident of Satyam Towers in Alipore.
Cops arrested six men for bursting illegal crackers and apprehended 40 others for disorderly conduct. On Thursday and Friday, police seized 35 kg crackers, the highest in four years. Last year, 10 kg of illegal firecrackers were seized. The seizure amount was 25 kg in 2022 and 27.7 kg in 2021.
The arrest count, though, was a third of the 153 people who had been prosecuted in 2021.
An official from West Bengal Pollution Control Board said that while the noise pollution level was better than in previous years, the air quality index, on an average, rose from 110 PM 2.5 to 135 in the morning, which denotes deterioration.
"We have found moderate levels of air pollution during Chhath Puja in the last two days. Noise pollution was within the limit due to the use of green crackers," the official said.
However, emission expert Somendra Mohan Ghosh said, "If we consider the safe limit for Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM2.5) as 140 mg per cubic metre, the levels observed after Chhath Puja is a matter of concern as it is nearly 3.5 times higher than the permissible limit."