With only a handful of cops at the disposal of every thana, it will be next to impossible to ascertain that green crackers, if any, are used and that too within the designated time span
A DSP-rank officer in Jamshedpur
A wholesale shop in Jugsalai, Jamshedpur Animesh Sengupta
The Supreme Court has refused to impose a blanket ban on sale of firecrackers, pitching for use of only low-emission and low-decibel ones, but critics argue that this green rider is unfounded particularly when such crackers are rarely manufactured in the country.
The apex court has also imposed time restrictions (8pm to 10pm) on bursting of crackers on Diwali night next month while asking states to explore the feasibility of community fireworks, but police in urban centres of Jharkhand are unsure how to man every nook and corner given the perennial manpower crunch.
Firecrackers in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad are brought from Tamil Nadu. The joint retail business in the three cities is nearly Rs 15 crore. But, traders anticipate a dent in profits in the wake of preconditions set by the Supreme Court, including mandatory licence and ban on online sale.
A DSP-rank officer in Jamshedpur said the court order had put a huge onus on police in the run-up to the November 7 festival. “With only a handful of cops at the disposal of every thana, it will be next to impossible to ascertain that green crackers, if any, are used and that too within the designated time span,” he said.
East Singhbhum SSP Anoop Birtharay conceded challenges in implementing the court riders, but said they would try their best to ensure compliance. “I understand there are practical difficulties such as manpower crisis. But, let us first study the order in details. Awareness among people is key to a green Diwali,” he said.
Dhanbad SSP Manoj Ratan Chothe said they were allowing only licensed vendors to sell firecrackers. “In the wake of the SC order, preconditions will be strictly implemented to curb pollution to the extent possible.”
ADG (operations) and state police spokesperson R.K. Mallick in Ranchi said the court order was being circulated among district authorities for full compliance. He did not elaborate how all riders would be imposed.
Regional officer (Adityapur) of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board Suresh Paswan said they were merely an advisory body and it was up to the administration to implement the court directives.
“We shall conduct our routine noise level and air quality check before, during and after Diwali. Reports will be submitted to the district administration, state headquarters and Central Pollution Control Board. It is for these authorities to take action,” Paswan added.
Jafar Sah, proprietor of a licensed fireworks wholesale store in Upper Bazaar, Ranchi, questioned the timing of the verdict. “Orders are placed two months in advance to manufacturers in Sivakasi and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Consignment are in transit. The directives should have been given earlier,” he said.
Wholesalers are not particularly worried about the decibel level because, as Sah said, most firecracker manufacturers adhere to guidelines set by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
“The noise will be restricted to 125dB as prescribed. Our concern is the low-emission rule. Most crackers, except for say sparklers and pinwheels, emit lot of smoke. If we cannot sell these, we apprehend over 30 per cent losses,” he said.
Ashok Kumar Sharma, a wholesaler in Hirapur, Dhanbad, echoed Sah. “Our consignment from south is on its way and will reach us any day. We have less scope of doing good business this year,” he said.
Jamshedpur wholesaler Ritesh Gulati of RK Traders said since August, they had been hearing about a possible ban order in Supreme Court and hence, had ordered only fancy sparklers. “We may be able to buffer losses to a certain extent,” he added.
