Kolkata police have seized around 3,500 kg of banned fireworks from Champahati in South 24 Parganas and arrested 13 people as authorities intensify checks on illegal supplies reaching the city ahead of Kali Puja and Diwali. Twelve cases have been registered in connection with the crackdown.
The two major fireworks markets of Champahati and Nungi remain key points in the supply chain, according to police sources cited in the report. Together, the markets have around 2,500 shops and thousands of small manufacturers. Police said the seized quantity represented only a part of the prohibited fireworks allegedly being sold through the network.
Atish Biswas, additional superintendent of police (zonal), Baruipur Police District, said authorities were acting strictly on complaints involving banned firecrackers. “Checkposts have been set up at various points to prevent transportation of banned crackers,” he said.
Police sources said the trade has become difficult to detect because prohibited fireworks are rarely displayed openly in shops. Instead, manufacturers, intermediaries and transporters allegedly coordinate orders through social media and mobile phones. The report also said that several people are allegedly making banned varieties, including chocolate bombs, dodoma and banned shells, in their homes before transporting them towards Kolkata in autos and van rickshaws.
The police officer said carriers, including women and young children, were allegedly being used to move the fireworks because they were less likely to attract suspicion. A businessman quoted in the report said sellers often kept certified green crackers on display and arranged prohibited loud crackers separately after taking a customer’s phone number. The fireworks were then allegedly delivered at a designated point by a child or woman using an auto or rickshaw.
Reports of crackers being burst over the past week have come from several Kolkata neighbourhoods, including Burrabazar, Girish Park, CR Avenue, Bangur, Kankurgachhi, Baguiati, New Town, Sinthi, Kalikapur, Behala, Chetla, Kasba and parts of New Alipore. Residents have complained that fireworks are being used in narrow lanes and residential areas, making it difficult for police to identify those responsible.
The activity has also raised immediate safety concerns in congested stretches, particularly for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders, apart from complaints about noise pollution. State government guidelines say crackers may be burst during Kali Puja and Diwali on November 8 only between 8 pm and 10 pm. Conventional firecrackers remain banned, and only certified green crackers are permitted during that window.
The guidelines allow only green crackers manufactured by the 1,700 manufacturers approved by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, or NEERI. Sound-emitting crackers must comply with the prescribed 125-decibel ceiling, while the limit for light-emitting fireworks is 90 decibels. The names of approved manufacturers are available on the designated website.
Bursting crackers within 100 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, educational institutions and other designated silence zones is prohibited. The government has warned that violations may lead to legal action, including seizure of illegal fireworks and arrests. Releasing sky lanterns without the required fire department permission can also attract legal action. Police enforcement and checkposts will continue along routes connecting the South 24 Parganas markets with Kolkata.
