Patna: The city may not face the same fate like in Delhi-NCR where the Supreme Court has banned the sale of firecrackers, but traders selling it in Patna without proper licence may face the district administration's heat.
The Patna administration on Monday issued instructions on the sale of crackers asking traders not to put up stalls without licences.
"We have issued instructions that no traders should put up stalls of firecrackers without licences and if anyone is found flouting the norm, action would be taken. The firecrackers would be seized, a fine would be slapped and they might land up in jail too," said Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.
This year, the district administration has issued 40 licences for the sale of firecrackers. Firecrackers are available in wholesale rates in Patna City. It is the Bihar hub where firecrackers are imported from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, the nucleus of the cracker industry in India.
Agarwal added that sale of powerful crackers are not allowed and residents should keep the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) norms in mind before buying crackers of high sound decibel.
The rule says the use of firecrackers is permitted between 6pm and 10pm. Firecrackers are totally banned in silent zones. The prescribed sound limit in residential zones is 55dB.
The DM said the traders must ensure they take all precautionary measures while selling firecrackers in their localities. "There are certain rules in selling firecrackers and I expect the traders would abide by them. Fire extinguishers and sand to douse fire is a must," Agarwal said.
On Diwali, Agarwal has asked all government hospitals to keep the burn wards arranged . Even fire tenders would stay on alert to deal with eventualities.
Though there is no ban on sale of firecrackers, the magistrate appealed people not to burst crackers to curb pollution. He asked parents to accompany their children when they burst crackers.
On Dhanteras (Tuesday), additional deployment of police force would be made to monitor the crowd as large number of people comes out on road to purchase several items.
