Police and fire services directorate have made elaborate arrangements in the state capital for tackling any mishap during the celebrations of diwali on Wednesday.
Director general of police R.P. Sharma had earlier directed the district polices concerned to implement the Supreme Court’s order on manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers during diwali.
Sharma had warned the cops to face legal proceedings if the orders of the Apex Court were violated. Sharma had asked all police stations concerned to prepare a list of licenced traders/dealers of firecrackers. The police also urged the citizens not to burst crackers near schools, hospitals, crowded market places and residential colonies, besides not allowing children burst crackers alone.
Deputy commissioner of police Anup Kumar Sahoo said that more than 20 platoons of police personnel would be deployed in the city to tackle any emergency.
“Police stations have been asked to remain alert and intensify patrolling to ensure that crackers are not busted after 10pm,” said Sahoo.
The police have also advised to keep buckets of water and sand and blanket ready to tackle any emergency situations. Besides, people have also been advised to not to wear silk and polyester clothes while bursting crackers. Police control room (PCR) vans have also been asked to remain alert to ferry victims of fire mishap without any delay.
The fire services department has also decided to deploy two teams each at Secretariat, Jatni, Chandrasekharpur, Balianta and Balipatna fire stations while four teams will be kept ready at Bhubaneswar fire station to tackle any emergency.
A blanket ban has also been imposed on the import, marketing and sale of hazardous crackers — including Chinese crackers, which usually crosses the prescribed limits of 125 decibel.
The police has also decided to intensify its crackdown on Chinese crackers and other hazardous crackers in the city.
“Police stations have been asked to inspect cracker shops and initiate action against shops selling hazardous crackers,” said a police officer.
