Several housing complexes across the city are taking steps to ensure compliance with the court directives regarding green crackers and sound restrictions on Diwali.
From earmarking a specific area for bursting green crackers, and posting security guards to check that only green crackers are being burst to the repeated circulation of awareness messages on the community WhatsApp groups, the RWAs are trying to ensure Diwali celebrations with minimum pollution in their complex, several RWA representatives said.
Separate area
Several highrises like the South City Residency have earmarked an area where residents will be allowed to burst firecrackers. A green cracker fireworks show has been arranged in Urbana housing to discourage random bursting of crackers.
Green crackers only
The South City Residency officials said they would try to ensure entry of “only green crackers” in the firecracker zone by posting additional security guards who would check the firecracker boxes and scan the QR Code.
“If it is brought to our notice that someone is bursting illegal crackers, we will immediately intervene,” said Manoj Gupta, secretary of South City Residency.
Sound restrictions
The permissible noise limit for green crackers is 90 decibels at five metres from the point of explosion of the cracker
“We are also requesting housing complexes to use sound limiters on the sound boxes,” said an officer in south Calcutta. Police said the use of loudspeakers will not be allowed post 10pm.
Awareness messages
Several residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) are banking upon messages and illustrations to request residents not to use anything apart from green fireworks in the run-up to Diwali.
At Sukhobrishti Housing Complex in New Town’s Action Area III the RWA has been sending out regular messages and illustrations on their WhatsApp groups asking residents to only go for green fireworks and to be also be cautious about lighting sky lanterns.
Strict vigil
Several RWAs in New Town will post security guards “especially in those areas where crackers had been burst in the past few years” to discourage residents from lighting up anything apart from green fireworks.