State Pollution Control Board & police intensify vigilance in sensitive zones

Kolkata: The West Bengal Pollution Control Board in co- ordination with Kolkata Police beef up vigilance near Covid hospitals, safe homes and hot spots in the city and its suburbs to implement the Calcutta High Court as well as the National Green Tribunal's directive of banning any sort of firecrackers not only during Kali Puja and Diwali but also through out the month of November .

The Supreme Court has also upheld the judgement of Calcutta High Court considering the fact that air pollution caused due to bursting of fire crackers may further aggravate the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

According to sources in the PCB — Sonarpur, Kasba, Behala, Ballygunge Circular Road, Salt Lake, Garfa, Beliaghata, Bhowanipore, Dum Dum, Maniktala., Barasat, Maheshtala, Patuli, Tamluk, Jagaddal. Chandannagar, Chinsurah, Salkia, Khardah and some more places have been identified as hot spots. The officer in charge of the concerned police stations have been asked to take adequate measures to implement the High Court ban in these hotspots.

For the last few days the OCs of different police stations have been engaged in interactions with local people and the apartment dwellers to create awareness against bursting of any sort of firecrackers and are keeping a video recording of such interactions. The police have been instructed by its top brass to have video recording of any sort of action against violators on the day of Kali Puja and Diwali or during immersion.

The Kolkata Police will be deploying vehicles and autorickshaws will be used to keep an eye on the lanes and bylanes in the city. In the 9 divisions of KP there will be 114 autorickshaws for vigilance. Each of the vehicles and autos will have two cops. Officials from the detective department of KP will also be used for surveillance.

For violations in this regard, section 188 of IPC and Section 15 of Environment Protection (EP) Act is applicable which may lead to imprisonment of five years and fine to the extent of Rs 1 lakh or both .

Use of loudspeakers is prohibited in silence zones that includes hospitals, courts and educational institutes. The retrofitting of sound limiter in sound system is mandatory. Moreover, the use of high frequency machine like DJ is also prohibited

There will be four monitoring teams in the city and deployment at all regional offices of WBPCB. People can lodge complaints of violations at the toll free number 18003453390, 03323353913, or through the Paribesh App that was launched by state PCB last year. Complaints can also be lodged through the

Twitter and Facebook page of WBPCB.

The phone numbers of regional offices where complaints can be lodged has also been circulated.

The police has already started seizure of fireworks – the latest being 70 kg from from Chaulpatty Road under Beliaghata police station area on Friday morning. One Mangal Debnath (27), of 31, Suren Sarkar Road was arrested for having these fireworks in his possession. The Bowbazar police station held an awareness rally against fire crackers on Friday.

Three persons were arrested from Bidhannagar Commissionerate area and 45 kg crackers were seized.