Firecracker dealers push for relaxed Diwali timings from 8 pm to midnight | Kolkata News

In a recent statement, Santanu Dutta, president of the Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers Association, defended the use of fireworks in light of noise complaints from the community

KOLKATA: Amid widespread criticism over noise violations during Diwali-Kali Puja, which many residents described as among the worst in recent years, Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers Association president Santanu Dutta defended the use of display fireworks, arguing that fireworks will naturally produce sound and that products sold through licensed channels remain within the Supreme Court’s 125 dB limit.“Anything creating noise will sound loud. Everything is under 125 decibels,” Dutta said. “It appears to be piercing your ears because you don’t hear it all the time. That is why it hurts.”On complaints that crackers were burst well beyond the two-hour window fixed by the Supreme Court, Dutta said the restriction was impractical and should be relaxed. He said he would appeal to the national fireworks federation to move the Supreme Court seeking an extension of the permitted window from two hours to four hours.“Diwali night, people enjoy till midnight. It should be relaxed from 8 pm to 12 midnight. We will appeal to the federation. It will be practical and feasible,” he said.Dutta, who said he works out of Bazi Bazaar and coordinates with the administration, argued that tighter bans often lead to more violations rather than better compliance. “More the bans, the higher the violation. If it is easily available, the craze will go away,” he said.He said that even if firecrackers disturb a section of residents, the celebrations are limited to a one or two festive days. “Around 30% do get disturbed. But this is just one or two days. This is just once in a year,” he reasoned.Dutta also pointed to other occasions when fireworks are used, including Chhath, when crackers are often burst in the early morning. He said that many people stock fireworks in advance and also purchase them from markets outside Burrabazar, including Nungi and Champahati.On the kind of fireworks being sold, Dutta said the demand is now largely for aerial display items, sky shots and repeaters. “Maximum is sky items, sky display, repeater shots,” he said, adding that a three-piece shell costs around Rs 700.He said some traditional crackers such as kali patka have been allowed, while items like chocolate bombs and dodoma remain banned because they are unsafe. “Chocolate bomb, dodoma is banned because it is unsafe,” he said.Dutta said the impact of fireworks varies across localities. In densely populated areas and slums, ground-level noise is more noticeable, while in high-end areas the sound comes both from the lifting charge and from the burst at a height of 100 ft or 200 ft.He said fireworks have long been part of festive culture and questioned why similar discussions do not take place around other celebrations. “Holi, Diwali, Eid, Christmas — this is not discussed. This has been a tradition since childhood. One cannot force the closure,” he said.