Illegal firecrackers godown sealed, one arrested

Kolkata: Cooch Behar district police have sealed an unauthorised firecrackers go-down from the district and seized 1,500 kg prohibited firecrackers. One person has been arrested in this connection so far.

The district police have started a raid to nab the other culprits involved in the incident. It may be mentioned that all the districts have been asked to crackdown on the illegal firecrackers factories in their respective areas.

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) had directed the police to carry out vigilance to check the selling of banned firecrackers before Kali Puja.

The pollution level in the city goes up during Kali Puja and Diwali every year. In many places it has been found that the people burst banned firecrackers despite the time to time raids by the police.

Patients suffering from various ailments have a terrible time during this part of the year because of the indiscriminate bursting of high sounding crackers. This time around, the police and the local administration have started raids at the illegal firecrackers factories in various places.

According to an official of the WBPCB, police administrations have been asked to take adequate measures so that bursting of noisy firecrackers can be checked. Like every year, the WBPCB asked the district administration to curb the use of banned firecrackers. Police have been asked to identify the source areas.

The monitoring teams of the WBPCB will also maintain a strict vigil and patrolling will continue.

According to a senior police officer it had also been decided to maintain surveillance in firecracker markets by

installing closed-circuit television cameras and deploying police personnel in civil clothes. This can check buying and selling of illegal firecrackers, the officer said.