Banned firecrackers: Police take measures to raise awareness

Both the Kolkata Police and Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate giving stress on creating awareness on the ill effects of bursting fire crackers besides taking stringent steps for selling the same.

Senior officers of the Kolkata held a meeting in this regard at the city police’s headquarter in Lalbazar.

The Kolkata Police have distributed leaflets and campaigned through various means to curb the menace of bursting of banned fire crackers. The police held meeting with representatives of the housing complexes and urged them to ensure that no one burst such crackers inside the premises or on the terraces of the high-rises.

It may be mentioned that most people choose terraces to burst banned fire crackers as they can hide in their flats before the police patrolling the area manages to move up to the terrace. As a result, the Kolkata Police had used its unmanned aerial vehicles - drones- to keep a watch whether banned fire crackers are being burst on terraces. This time too, police will keep watch and immediate steps would be taken if anyone is caught bursting banned fire crackers.

Till date the police have seized 5,300 kg of banned fire crackers by conducting raids at different places. The police have arrested 11 persons in this connection.

In a bid to reach more and more people, the police have taken the help of the social media to create awareness about the ill effects of banned fire crackers. A mobile phone app will also be in place to create awareness among the people. Using the app, people can also lodge complaints against bursting of banned fire crackers.

The Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate will organise a rally from Lake Town Big Ben Clock on Thursday morning. All senior police officers will be attending the rally and hundreds of children will also participate to make people aware about the ill effects of bursting banned fire crackers.

A rally with around 200 students was held on Wednesday morning in Bidhannanagr in which policemen from local police stations were also present. “The rally has been organised as awareness campaign will bring a change in the attitude of the people,” said a police officer.