Dimapur: The Dimapur Police has issued guidelines for the use of firecrackers during festivals, emphasizing the importance of environmental safety and community well-being.
“In order to ensure a safe and eco-friendly environment, it is appealed to all the citizens to be responsible and desist from the use of firecrackers as it is not only environmentally hazardous but can cause significant stress, fear and other health-related issues in animals and humans due to its loud explosion and toxic gases,” Dimapur commissioner of police Kevithuto Sophie said in an advisory on Monday.
According to the advisory, while the general ban remains in place, limited exceptions apply on specific occasions.
Fireworks will be permitted from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Diwali and other festivals like Gurupurab. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the permissible time window extends from 11:55 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. only.
The police stated that firecrackers can only be sold by licensed traders and that only permitted firecrackers would be allowed to be sold.
The advisory also said no fireworks will be allowed to be burst in silence zones such as an area 100 meters away from hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health care centres, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area that may be declared as a silence zone by the authorities concerned.
Further, it added that the manufacture, sale and use of Joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) or fireworks containing barium salts/lithium/arsenic/antimony/led/mercury or firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125 dB (AI) or 145 dB (C)pk at 4 meters distance from the point of bursting will be strictly prohibited.
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As per the advisory, no items(s) other than the reduced emission firecrackers (improved crackers) and reduced emission firecrackers (green crackers: safe water and air sprinklers), as prescribed and approved by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation, will be used during the permitted hours.
He stated that anyone found violating the order would be penalised as per the provisions of the law.
