Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to people on Monday to ensure that fireworks did not inconvenience others and to “abide by rules set by the administration”.

Mamata spoke about using discretion while using fireworks at the inauguration of the Janbazar Sammilita Kali Puja Samity’s pandal on SN Banerjee Road.

“Use fireworks that are not harmful to others. Ensure that they don’t end up causing burn injuries or harm in any way. Remember, we have to prioritise the environment and be considerate towards our neighbours,” she said.

She asked women to be careful about loose clothes while lighting diyas and candles outside and in their homes.

“I also perform Kali Puja at home. We light up candles and diyas at home. Women particularly need to be extremely careful. If we are not careful, loose clothes like the ends of saris might catch fire and it is extremely dangerous,” Mamata said.

Calcutta High Court has said that only green fireworks are allowed and can be burst in a two-hour window on Diwali night.

“There shall be a complete ban on the sale and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers, except green crackers in the state of West Bengal,” the court said. The state pollution control board has issued orders mentioning the high court’s directives.

Only green fireworks with valid QR codes can be legally sold in the city.
Any scanner on a smartphone can be used to scan the code.

On scanning the code, a certificate should be generated mentioning the name and nature of the fireworks, details like the name and address of the manufacturer, chemical composition of the fireworks and the percentage of reduction in emission, a senior police officer said.

The certificate generated should be on the letterhead of the Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR)-NEERI and should bear the official seal of the authorised signatory of CSIR-NEERI.

Anyone found bursting a banned cracker can be prosecuted under The Explosives Substances Act. “If found guilty, the person can be imprisoned for a term that may go up to three years,” said a police officer.

If anyone is found bursting a cracker beyond the stipulated hours, the person will be booked under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for disobeying
an order by a public servant. The Explosives Substances Act can be added if the person is found bursting a banned cracker.

There have been instances in the city where fireworks have been seized packed in boxes resembling green fireworks but without valid QR codes.