Rain is set to play spoiler this Diwali as Cyclone Sitrang rages across the Bay of Bengal. Chances of a breather are remote, according to the Met office.
Only green firecrackers that produce up to 90 decibel sound at 5 metres from the point of explosion can be lit between 8pm and 10pm on Diwali, according to court guidelines. Green firecrackers can be identified by scanning the QR code printed on the packet.
The code can be scanned using the “Green QR” mobile app made by CSIR-NEERI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute). On scanning a QR code, a certificate should be generated mentioning the name and nature of the firework.
The certificate should be on the letterhead of CSIR-NEERI with the official seal of an authorised signatory of CSIRNEERI.
The Telegraph gives a lowdown on Diwali.
Violations
- Purchase, sale and display of and bursting banned crackers
- Bursting crackers before 8pm and after 10pm
- Playing loudspeakers producing sound more than 65 decibel at 5m from the source
- Use of microphones before 6am and after 10pm
- Use of microphones without sound limiters
Punishment
- Spending a night at a police station
- Prosecution under the explosive substances act, leading to a criminal case and a possible jail term of three years
- Prosecution under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobeying a public servant’s order), which can attract a jail term of six months
Police arrangements
- More than 5,000 cops will be on duty, apart from mobile patrols.
- In areas like Shakespeare Sarani, Camac Street, Park Street and Alipore, cops will be posted at highrise buildings.
- More than 2,000 police personnel will be on the roads in Salt Lake and adjoining areas. The police have also started mapping out areas from where most complaints had been recorded in earlier years. The list includes Lake Town, the airport area, Baguiati and pockets of Rajarhat. Special patrol teams will be deployed in these areas.
Help at hand
- Emergency helpline: 100
- Lalbazar control room: 22143230
- Traffic control room: 22143644
- Traffic police helpline: 9830010000
- Bidhannagar police control room: 033-23358788
- Children’s helpline: 1098
- Missing person’s squad: 22505153, 22141430
- Fire: 101
- Fire brigade control room: 22861570, 22521165
- Ambulance: 102
- CESC: 9831079666, 9831083700
- WBSEDCL: 19121
Complaints
- West Bengal Pollution Control Board control room: 033- 23353913/8212, 18003453390 (From October 23 to 25, 5pm till late night)
- Sabuj Mancha central control room: 6290901862, 9830268902 / 9230568902 (October 24 morning to October 25 night)
- Howrah: 8910634755
- Hooghly: 9883325009
- South 24-Parganas: 9732522848
- North 24-Parganas: 9230568902
Weather
The sky is likely to be overcast. Expect rain and winds under the influence of Cyclone Sitrang, headed towards Bangladesh
Metro Railway
Metro Railway will run trains beyond the usual closing hours on Monday. The carrier will run 200 trains on Monday.
The usual weekday quota is 288 trains.
On Monday, the first trains will leave Kavi Subhas (New Garia) and Dakshineswar at 6.50am and the last trains at midnight. On October 25, the carrier will run 188 trains.
East-West Metro, now functional between Sealdah and Sector V, will run 72 trains on Monday. The first and last trains will leave Sealdah at 7.55am and 7.35pm, respectively.
The first and last trains will leave Sector V at 8am and 7.40pm, respectively.
On Tuesday, there will be 90 trains. The first and last trains will leave Sealdah at 6.55am and 9.35pm, respectively.
The first and last trains will leave Sector V at 7am and 9.40pm, respectively.