West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has defended the state’s handling of noise pollution during Kali Puja and Diwali, saying police, the Pollution Control Board and non-governmental organisations acted against violations involving firecrackers and loud music. He also blamed communist groups for complaints that excessive noise continued during the celebrations.
Speaking on the sidelines of a programme in Digha on Monday, Adhikari said the administration had taken measures in line with Supreme Court directives regulating firecracker use. He acknowledged that some firecrackers were burst after 10 pm, but said police had acted against those who violated the restrictions.
“We don’t want pollution. But what is the problem when people want to enjoy Deepawali with lights and green crackers?” Adhikari said, according to the Times of India report. He also said that some criticism reflected discomfort with what he described as the resurgence of Sanatan traditions.
The chief minister said enforcement teams had been active on the ground, with the Pollution Control Board, police and NGOs deployed during the festive period. He claimed that large quantities of firecrackers had been seized and that several cases had been registered against violators.
Adhikari also pointed to the practical limits of enforcement in dense urban areas. “Police can’t be deployed outside every house and flat. But we have tried,” he said. The statement highlights the challenge of regulating noise generated inside residential buildings and neighbourhoods, where enforcement cannot rely only on visible roadside patrols.
The administration’s response covered both firecracker noise and DJ music. Adhikari said the government should receive credit for curbing DJ use during the celebrations, adding that he had not heard DJs being played on roadsides. He qualified the claim by saying he could not rule out music being played in a remote area.
According to the report, fires broke out at three or four locations during the celebrations. Adhikari said the administration responded promptly and that no injuries were reported. The statement did not provide details about the locations of the fires, the number of cases filed, the quantity of crackers seized or the specific enforcement standards applied.
The episode places festive noise control within a wider urban administration problem: authorities must balance religious and cultural celebrations with restrictions intended to limit pollution and protect residents from excessive sound. The available account records the government’s position and enforcement claims, but does not include independent measurements of noise levels, a citywide assessment of compliance or responses from the groups criticised by the chief minister.
The state government’s immediate enforcement measures, as described by Adhikari, included police action, seizures, case registration and coordination with the Pollution Control Board and NGOs. No further timeline or review mechanism was specified in the statement.
