Don't Have Equipment To Measure Sound Levels Of Crackers, Say Police

Police officers said they do not have any equipment to measure the decibel levels of the firecrackers or the smoke they emit following the Supreme Court's order allowing conditional sale and manufacture of low emission firecrackers.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the sale and manufacture of low emission "green" firecrackers countrywide and fixed a two-hour time period from 8 pm to 10 pm for bursting them on Diwali and other festivals, and made the station house officers liable if banned firecrackers were sold in their area.

Some shopkeepers also informed police officers they do not have any fresh stock of firecrackers and the stocks are two years old and in such a short period of time they would not be able to get fresh stocks.

The Supreme Court said the noise and smoke emission limits of the crackers will have to be approved by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO), under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

It also said that station house officers of police stations concerned will be held liable if banned firecrackers are sold in their area.

Delhi Police public relation officer and Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said it will be ensured that the Supreme Court order is fully enforced.

"The Delhi Police's Licensing Branch will be holding a meeting with the PESO officials to understand the certification criteria and the station house officers will be made aware about the guidelines. Meetings will be held with resident welfare associations to sensitise them to encourage bursting of crackers only between 8 to 10 pm and at designated places," Mr Verma said.

The officer added they will also be issuing advertisements to create awareness about the issue.

In 2016, the Delhi Police had issued 968 licenses for temporary sale of firecrackers and this year the limit has been fixed at 50 per cent of this number, the officer said.

An inspector posted in the central district said, "There are no instruments to measure the decibel levels of the firecrackers, but the senior officers might direct the licensing branch of the Delhi Police to frame some guidelines for issuing licenses."

According to another officer from the central district, shopkeepers have said that they would not be able to procure 'green firecrackers' within 15 days.

"We held a meeting with the shopkeepers selling firecrackers and they said they have stocks which are two years old. They said in such a short span of time they would not be able to get fresh stocks and even asked us for suggestions to dispose off their old stock whose sale won't be possible."

Another SHO posted in north district said they are waiting for direction from senior officers, but neither do they have any apparatus to measure the intensity of a firecracker and nor they are aware of any criterion to ascertain if the firecrackers being sold fall under the green category.

Police officers said they would have to rely on human intelligence and their sources on ground whether norms are being violated in the absence of any proper equipment or guidelines.

"It will be a difficult task to monitor whether shopkeepers are following guidelines since it will be Diwali time when crackers are sold in bulk quantities. Beat officers will have to be sensitised to ensure norms are not flouted," another officer added.