West Bengal govt warns of strict action against violation of firecracker norms on Diwali, Chhath

Home Minister Sanghamitra Ghosh said they have launched an awareness campaign to make people understand that celebrations and festivals can be held without the pollution of crackers. File | Photo credit: PTI

Calcutta

The West Bengal government on Thursday (October 29, 2026) announced that it will take strict action against people violating firecracker norms during Diwali and Chhath Puja. The police also arrested one man for unauthorized hoarding of banned biscuits and recovered approximately 110 kg of biscuits.

“The accused was apprehended from the spot at about 01:45 on 29/10/2026 and the firecrackers were seized in the presence of witnesses after due legal formalities,” Kolkata Police said in a statement on Thursday (29 October 2026). A police officer at Burrabazar police station registered a suo motu case after which 19-year-old Md was arrested. Toufiq.

West Bengal Director General of Police Siddhi Nath Gupta also said that people will not be allowed to use sky lanterns without obtaining proper permission from the fire department. “They can be sold, bought and used, but if you want to use them, get permission and follow due process,” Mr Gupta said.

They also added that only green biscuits will be allowed and that they have several methods in place to ensure that vendors do not have fake green biscuit labels on their products. Home Minister Sanghamitra Ghosh insisted that the use of green biscuits should also be restricted.

Pollution control

Meanwhile, Ms. Ghosh urged people to follow pollution control regulations for a better environment and said they have started an awareness campaign to make people understand that celebrations and festivals can be held without the pollution of crackers.

“It’s not just about enforcement, it’s also a lot about self-awareness. Every person is affected by this pollution,” Ms. Ghosh also said.

Ms. Ghosh said the decibel limit is 125 and 90 decibels for sound-emitting crackers, respectively. On Diwali, the time limit for bursting crackers is between 8 am to 10 pm and on Chhath Puja from 6 am to 8 am

They also added that there will be more surveillance and patrolling during the festival days.

“We will inspect all storage and manufacturing sites and keep an eye on the cracker markets to ensure that there is no violation,” Ms. Ghosh added.

Published – 30 Oct 2026 02:20 IST