Fireworks and cookies, an integral part of Diwali and Kali Puja, all but disappeared on Saturday night from the West Bengal capital as a large majority of residents followed the recent order from the Calcutta high court.
Barring a handful of incidents in a few pockets, the festival was marked for the first time as one without air pollution and noise. The vigilant Calcutta Police seized a few thousand kilos of fireworks before and during the festival and arrested 294 people.
Kolkata police tweeted photos of the city’s skyline in the middle of the night to show the effect of the ban.
“This was possible only because of the level of consciousness of the citizens. People followed the rules in the interest of society, ”said Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim. The court had banned the use of all types of fireworks in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I can’t believe this. For older people with asthma like me, the festival of lights turns into a nightmare. I was so relieved,” said Saradindu Roy, 75, a resident of Gariahat in South Kolkata .
The districts, however, lagged behind Kolkata with fireworks used randomly in parts. A minor girl even died of burns in the Kaliachak area of Mala district in a fireworks-related accident.
However, there were some incidents of accidental fires in Kolkata. Part of a slum in Baguiati, in eastern Kolkata, was destroyed when one of the rooms caught fire with candles and the flames spread to adjacent houses. In another incident, an elderly woman died inside her home in central Kolkata when her sari was set ablaze by an oil lamp.
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