States » EastPosted at: Oct 29 2026 4:59PM


Licence mandatory for flying sky lanterns during Kali Puja, Diwali: West Bengal DGP

Kolkata, Oct 29 (UNI) West Bengal Police Director General Siddhnath Gupta on Thursday said people would have to obtain a licence to fly sky lanterns (phanus) during the upcoming Kali Puja and Diwali festivals, warning that their use was regulated under the Fire Act despite their availability in the market.
"There is a strict regulation in the Fire Act on burning fire lanterns (phanus). One has to have a license in his possession to burn the fire lanterns," Gupta said at a press conference at Nabanna.
However, the DGP didn’t specify the details of the license required to burn fire lanterns.
When asked whether the state administration would impose a ban on the use of sky lanterns, the DGP said, “People can purchase them from the market but need to follow the prescribed regulations and obtain the necessary licence before using them.”
He said several accidents had occurred in the past due to the unauthorised release of sky lanterns and air balloons, making compliance with safety rules essential to prevent mishaps.
The police and administration held a meeting at Nabanna to review preparations for Kali Puja, followed by a joint press conference where Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh outlined measures to regulate firecrackers and ensure compliance with court guidelines during the festivals.
Ghosh said the administration would take necessary steps to enforce restrictions on noise pollution, with particular emphasis on maintaining silence zones within a 100-metre radius of hospitals and other designated institutions.
"The administration will put extra care in maintaining silence zones within the radius of 100 metres of hospitals in accordance with the court guidelines. Besides, the state administration will operate control rooms to put a strict vigil on the incidents during the festivities. The numbers would be circulated later," the home secretary said.
She stressed that the administration would focus on promoting green firecrackers and preventing the use of prohibited fireworks. No noisy firecrackers would be allowed within 100 metres of hospitals, schools, colleges and old-age homes, where silence must be maintained.
The home secretary said that control rooms would be set up to receive complaints from the public regarding violations, while enforcement agencies would conduct continuous raids against illegal firecrackers.
Police patrols would also be intensified during the festive period to ensure compliance with the regulations and maintain public safety.
Referring to the decibel levels associated with firecrackers, which she said ranged between 90 and 125 decibels, Ghosh stressed the need for greater public awareness alongside administrative enforcement.
"One's own joy should not become a cause for another's suffering," she said, adding that people's awareness and cooperation were more important than administrative restrictions alone.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police has begun operations across its divisions to seize illegal firecrackers ahead of Kali Puja and Diwali.
In one such operation, police registered a suo motu case on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Uttam Kumar Halder of Burrabazar police station against Md Toufiq and others for allegedly storing around 110 kg of contraband firecrackers in four cardboard cartons inside an abandoned building at 117 N S Road without any valid licence or permit.
The accused was arrested from the spot, and the firecrackers were seized in the presence of witnesses following due legal formalities.
Senior police officials said an alert had already been issued to all police stations, directing them to ensure that illegal firecrackers were neither stored nor sold in their respective jurisdictions.
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Tags: #Licence mandatory for flying sky lanterns during Kali Puja# Diwali: West Bengal DGP
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