No Loud Firecrackers: Kolkata Aims For A Quieter Diwali

Kolkata: The Kolkata Police in the last few years has been unable to control sound pollution on Diwali with the sound limits being openly violated. This time however, they promise it will be different.

Officers will patrol each and every corner to ensure crackers that are louder than 90 decibel are not used, they said.

Residents of the city too are largely staying away from the noisy crackers and sticking to the 90 decibel limit. But there are still some who believe in making noise.

"People still come and ask for noisy crackers but we are telling them only soundless crackers are available. We tell them we have stopped selling it. So they keep looking around for it," Jaleel, a firecracker dealer told NDTV.

Swati Saraf, who was visiting a fire cracker market said, "There should be a little bit of sound pollution. Or else how will we know what Diwali is?"

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Experts say the campaign and police action started too late and noisy crackers have already flooded the market.

"Crackers and fireworks have been produced three months back and now they are in the open market and once that happens it is very difficult to crackdown," said Jayanto Basu, a campaigner.

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Along with loud firecrackers, sales of Diwali lights from China are also dipping with many preferring traditional diyas.

 "Traditional diyas only. No Chinese lights this year," said Ranjan Brahmachari a shopper. "Definitely we will not buy Chinese crackers," added Ashish Poddar.