Kataka: Ahead of Diwali, the Commissionerate Police has urged residents of Kataka to adhere to prescribed restrictions while celebrating the festival, including bursting firecrackers only between 7 pm and 9 pm.
Kataka DCP Rishikesh Dnyandeo Khilari has appealed to people to avoid bursting firecrackers in crowded areas and refrain from using excessively noisy crackers, particularly rocket-type fireworks.
The police have also emphasised compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions permitting the use of only green crackers during the celebrations.
However, concerns have been raised over the lack of an effective mechanism to verify whether firecrackers being sold in the market are genuinely green crackers. Although the police are allowing the sale of firecrackers carrying green cracker stickers, they reportedly have no specific means to authenticate such claims.
Environmentalists have also alleged that the State Pollution Control Board has failed to take adequate steps to monitor the sale and use of firecrackers and ensure compliance with environmental norms.
