The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) will protect the identities of whistleblowers who report noise-pollution violations during Kali Puja and Diwali, while exploring a dedicated WhatsApp helpline for complaints, board officials said at a meeting with environmental experts, physicians and activists in Kolkata on Wednesday evening.
The move is intended to address a key enforcement problem: residents, particularly in rural areas, may avoid reporting violations because they fear retaliation. The board’s member secretary, Ashok Pratap Singh, gave the assurance during discussions with a delegation that included physicians Dulal Bose and Dwaipayan Mukherjee, public-health expert Arunabha Majumdar and environmental activists.
The delegation also sought stronger protection for patients in hospitals, which are designated silent zones. Singh agreed to write to hospital heads across West Bengal, asking them to ensure that firecrackers are not burst on hospital premises. The board will also ask police to remain vigilant around hospitals during the festive period.
Mukherjee, an ENT specialist, told the meeting that persistent fireworks noise affects patients, including those in intensive care units, who are unable to complain about the disturbance themselves. “Unfortunately, the patients cannot complain to you,” he said, according to the report.
The board has also agreed in principle to explore measures addressing the deaths of people who are killed after protesting against firecrackers or excessive noise. Environment activist Kunal Sen said the delegation had demanded a commission that could book violators and provide compensation to affected families. Former state pollution control board chief law officer Biswajit Mukherjee said the delegation would submit a detailed proposal after the member secretary asked it to develop the demand further.
The discussions covered the sale and use of fireworks as well. The delegation urged the board to ensure that only green fireworks are sold and used. Officials have begun monitoring fireworks markets in Kolkata, while district magistrates will be asked to conduct similar exercises in other districts, Majumdar said.
Activist Goutam Sarkar pointed to alleged open sales of fireworks in Serampore and other areas in violation of norms and asked the board to work with civil-society representatives operating on the ground. The board’s response places citizen reporting alongside official monitoring, rather than relying only on enforcement teams to identify violations.
A senior board official said environmental experts and civil-society groups had a critical role in maintaining green norms and that the board planned to continue its dialogue with them after Kali Puja. The immediate measures under consideration are the confidential complaint mechanism, a possible WhatsApp helpline, hospital-focused policing, market monitoring and a proposal concerning families affected by noise-related deaths.
