Kolkata is celebrating Kali Puja and Diwali on the same Sunday under strict cracker restrictions, with only green crackers permitted between 8pm and 10pm and police coordinating with housing complexes to enforce the court-backed rules.
The city has been decorated with festive lights, while sweet shops in areas including Ballygunge, Bhowanipore, Salt Lake and along AJC Bose Road reported heavy customer footfall. Confectioneries were selling sweets, dry fruits and savouries, with laddoos and kaju barfis among the popular choices. Gokul Sweets was also selling a lotus-shaped sandesh made with dry fruits and kesar at ₹3,500 apiece. A representative of the chain said more than 1,000 pieces had been sold.
The celebrations are taking place against a tightly defined enforcement framework. The state government has restricted cracker bursting to the two-hour window from 8pm to 10pm and warned of strict action against violations. State home secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh said at a news conference on October 29 that the timing was limited by court orders and applied to all crackers.
An order signed by city police commissioner Ajay Nand specifies that only green crackers can be used during the permitted period. Fireworks are prohibited before 8pm and after 10pm, including those that produce only light and no sound. The restrictions therefore apply not only to high-noise fireworks but to all forms of cracker use outside the authorised window.
Green crackers are not pollution-free, although they are designed to emit fewer pollutants and remain within the prescribed sound limit. A scientist from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute said the crackers produce sound within 125 decibels when measured four metres from the source and release 30 per cent less particulate matter than conventional crackers.
NEERI has not issued QR codes for green crackers this year. A NEERI official said 1,700 manufacturers across India, including 251 in Bengal, had been certified to produce green fireworks. The list is available on the NEERI website and is also being displayed at firecracker markets, according to police officers and traders. A QR code outside the Maidan Bazi Bazar directed buyers to a document titled “CSIR-NEERI Green Firecracker Registration List 2026”.
The enforcement plan extends into residential neighbourhoods, where terraces, lawns and open grounds are commonly used for festive fireworks. Officers-in-charge of Kolkata’s 91 police stations have been instructed to meet resident welfare associations and explain the restrictions. Police visiting housing complexes have been asked to record the names and contact details of residents who can be contacted if complaints arise.
Police have also advised residents not to throw crackers from terraces. Where crackers are burst on the ground, residents have been told to keep them away from car parking areas. Complaints can be lodged with the police or the State Pollution Control Board. Cases may be registered under the Explosives Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant. An arrested person can face imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to ₹2,500, or both.
The city’s festive arrangements also include extended Metro services on the Blue and Green lines. The weather forecast is for mainly clear skies, with the maximum temperature expected to be around 30°C and the minimum around 22°C. Police enforcement and complaint handling will determine how the city’s simultaneous religious celebrations unfold within the prescribed two-hour window.
