Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Oct. 22: Police and the fire service department have made elaborate arrangements to ensure a safe Diwali and Kali Puja in the twin cities.

Officials in the fire service department will deploy “quick reaction teams” at multiple locations to tackle fire related incidents during the festival of lights that will be celebrated tomorrow.

A senior official said motorcycle-borne teams armed with fire-fighting equipment would be deployed in the narrow lanes of Cuttack.

In Bhubaneswar and on its outskirts, 15 fire-fighting teams, along with fire tenders, will be kept ready at various locations to tackle any kinds of untoward incidents.

“As many as 115 fire brigade personnel, including the officers, will be ready to tackle any fire related incidents,” said Ramesh Majhi, deputy fire officer, Bhubaneswar.

He said five teams would be kept at Kalpana, two at Baramunda, two at Chandrasekharpur and two each at other places on the outskirts of the city.

In Cuttack, around 20 officers and 100 fire fighters have been stationed at the three temporary fire stations set up at Gaurishankar Park, Lalbagh and Madhupatna. “All the three temporary fire stations have been set up, and special measures have been taken to minimise the loss of life and property,” said B.B. Das, fire officer (central range).

At a preparatory meeting held today, the police launched a massive drive to identify firecracker traders violating norms under the temporary licence issued to them.

“It has come to the notice that some traders have set up stalls without licences and others are violating various prescribed norms. We have instructed officers to conduct raids from today,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.

The police will keep a tab on sound and time limit violators in Bhubaneswar. Satyabrata Bhoi, deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar, said teams would be deployed at various traffic squares and they would ensure that no one violated the time limit of 10pm for bursting crackers.

“Along with the Odisha State Pollution Control Board officials, our personnel, too, will ensure that the sound limit of 125 decibels is not violated by anyone,” said Bhoi. He also said police teams had started raiding firecracker shops that had been violating the licence norms.

A senior official said special police arrangements had been made for all the Puja committees that were celebrating Kali Puja.

“The committees have also been asked to complete the immersion ceremony by October 27,” said the police commissioner.

The police have also issued a detailed do’s and don’ts list for the public on its Facebook page.