Silent burial to cracker norms

PUNE: All appeals made by the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) and non-governmental organisations to citizens not to burst crackers producing noise above 125 decibels fell on deaf ears this year too, with the city witnessing another “noisy� Diwali.
The supreme court’s decision banning sale and bursting of cracker strings of more than 50 and bursting of crackers from 10 pm to 6 am, and the PMC’s decision to implement the ban, too, failed to dampen the spirits of cracker enthusiasts, who, it appeared, had received a special impetus on Laxmi puja and Padva days.
The PMC fire-brigade registered 24 incidents of fire due to crackers, including the one at a Kothrud petrol pump on Monday.
Despite several complaints by citizens against bursting of crackers after 10 pm, the city police did not file even a single case. They also did not take any action against those bursting crackers on the streets, obstructing traffic.
“It is surprising that the police did not come across even a single string with more than 100 crackers,� senior citizens from Sadashiv Peth and Narayan Peth said.
Meenakshi Kache, was injured at Pimpri when the stone kept by one Rakesh Patel on a fire cracker hit her face. However, the police treated the incident as a noncognisable offence under section 337 of the IPC.
The PMC’s nuisance detection squad registered 49 cases of cracker norms violation during the festival and brought them to the notice of the police, but no action was taken against the violators. Vinayak Gaikwad of the squad said, “We are not a law enforcing agency, nor do we have any rights to take legal action against the violators.�