Green crusaders wrote to the chief minister on Friday flagging concerns about the temporary permissions being granted to sell fireworks in Kolkata and elsewhere in the state in the lead-up to Diwali.
According to sources, close to 1,000 applications for permission to set up standalone shops have been submitted so far to various district magistrates and police.
“We have received about 100 applications for running temporary fireworks shops in Kolkata so far. We will undertake a joint enquiry with fire (fire and emergency services department) before providing the permission,” a senior police officer said on Saturday.
The secretary of the state’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) department, Rajesh Pandey, wrote to all district magistrates on September 20, stating that “as per Section 84 of explosive rules, 2008, temporary selling licences (100kg for green fireworks plus 500kg for sparklers) can be issued by DM for a period up to 30 days”.
Environmentalists are crying foul.
“Last year, the high court directed that green firecrackers should only be sold from valid bazi bazaars in Kolkata and the rest of the state. But this year the MSME has asked district administrations to allow selling from temporary fireworks shops without any mention of bazi bazaars, which will definitely facilitate the selling of banned fireworks in the garb of green fireworks”, alleged Naba Dutta, the secretary of Sabuj Mancha.
This newspaper could not contact the MSME secretary for his response.
“We are shocked to learn that this year the department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has come up with a circular … stating district magistrates can issue temporary selling licences for a period up to 30 days,” reads the letter written by environment platform Sabuj Mancha to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday.
“The Supreme Court … issued instruction that fireworks may be used only for 2 hours on specific festive days and for 35 minutes on Christmas Eve. What is the justification for providing selling licenses for 30 days at a stretch when fireworks are allowed for a very limited period? We apprehend that keeping the sales open for such a long time will encourage the use of fireworks beyond the permissible period…” further alleges the letter.
The letter also reminded that though last year Calcutta high court “issued instruction that only green fireworks with QR codes would be sold and that the state pollution control board and the Police Department would ensure implementation of the said order … MSME circular does not mention anything about the compulsory QR code for the green fireworks.”
The platform demanded the engagement of the state PCB, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in the process.
“Since the late 90s, the PCB always played the key role in fireworks-related matters and all judicial forums, from the Supreme Court to the high court to the national green tribunal, have asked the state board to monitor the issues. Even last year, the green tribunal had asked the PCB, NEERI and explosives department to monitor the bazi bazaars,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, former chief law officer of the state PCB and also a high court-appointed special officer for noise pollution control.