GUWAHATI: In light of the upcoming Diwali festival, Rosetta Mary Kurbah, IAS, District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills District, Shillong, has issued an order under Section 144 Cr.P.C., imposing restrictions on the sale, purchase, and use of firecrackers within the district.
The key provisions of the order are as follows:
1. Restrictions on Firecrackers: The order strictly prohibits the sale, purchase, and procurement of firecrackers and fireworks producing bursting sounds, with the exception of Tarabatti (all types) and tubri (without sound) in all public places and thoroughfares.
2. Limited Time Frame: Fireworks and firecrackers will be allowed to be used only between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM. This regulation aligns with the orders of the Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (C) No.28 of 2015.
3. Silence Zones: Fireworks are banned in silence zones, which include areas within a 100-meter radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district healthcare centres, educational institutions, courts, religious places, and other locations that may be designated as silence zones by the authorities.
4. Prohibition of Noisy Firecrackers: The use of firecrackers generating noise levels exceeding 125 dB (A) or 145 dB (C) peak at a distance of 4 meters from the point of bursting is strictly prohibited.
5. Compliance with Environmental Regulations: The order emphasises the sale of firecrackers with reduced emissions and encourages the use of reduced-emission firecrackers. It bans the manufacture, sale, and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) due to their adverse environmental impact.
