Kolkata: Large-scale violations of noise norms marked Chhath celebrations across Kolkata on Sunday, with revellers bursting loud crackers and blaring DJ music from processions and roadside gatherings, often without any police intervention.Till 9pm, 39 people were arrested, including six for bursting crackers and 33 for disorderly conduct. Around 4.5kg of firecrackers were seized.Kasba, Behala, Jadavpur, Taltala, Girish Park, Burrabazar and many other neighbourhoods across the city turned into pockets of noise and smoke as processions wound their way to and from ghats. With celebrations set to continue till Monday morning, residents feared another round of noisy festivities, despite restrictions on crackers and amplified sound.The violations were reminiscent of the noisy Diwali celebrations a week ago, when firecrackers were burst over four consecutive nights across Kolkata. In a departure from Diwali, when DJ music was largely absent, amplified music was an integral part of Sunday’s celebrations.Along stretches reserved for Chhath vehicles in central Kolkata, revellers were seen throwing chocolate bombs rampantly. Pedestrians and commuters struggled to negotiate their way amid firecracker explosions and deafening music.The violations were not restricted to the riverfront. Posta, Taltala, Narkeldanga, Phoolbagan, Sarsuna, Bansdroni, Bhowanipore, Anandapur, Kasba, Tiljala and Ultadanga reported noisy celebrations, too. Disturbances were also reported from Alipore, Chetla, Kidderpore, Hastings, SN Banerjee Road, Collin Street, BBD Bag, CIT Road (near Poddar Court) and Eden Hospital Road.“Scared by frequent cracker explosions, my pet dog refused to come out of the bed for hours. My father, who recently suffered a cerebral attack, fell sick,” said Poushali Sengupta, a resident of Kasba.Souvick Dutta, who was driving along SN Banerjee Road while revellers were on their way to Hooghly ghats, said: “Revellers threw chocolate bombs targetting the tyres of my car. I alerted a traffic constable at the Wellington crossing, but he asked me to drive faster and clear the way for them.”Despite widespread complaints of noise norm violations, Lalbazar reported no significant seizure of firecrackers and DJ sets or arrests till 8pm. The focus was on persuasion rather than penal action, said a senior police officer. No written complaints had been received, the officer said.Around 4,000 police personnel were deployed across Kolkata for Chhath-related security and traffic management, including 300 personnel outside Rabindra Sarobar and 200 outside Subhas Sarobar. Both lakes remained closed for the rituals and were scheduled to reopen at 2pm on Monday.The celebrations will continue at the ghats on Monday morning. Though West Bengal Pollution Control Board has permitted use of only green crackers, between 6am and 8am, the scale of Sunday’s violations has raised concerns over whether the restricted two-hour window will be observed.
