Tribune News service
Chandigarh, November 15
The UT Administration miserably failed to enforce a complete cracker ban in the city on Diwali. Only 12 FIRs were registered for violating the ban on Diwali night compared to 13 cases registered under Section 188, IPC, at 16 police stations in the city last year.
Many residents complained about the Administration's lack of seriousness in strictly enforcing the complete ban. There was no check on the offenders in most parts of the city as the police restricted themselves to the job of patrolling with loud siren and showing no resolve to act sternly.
The UT Adviser, Manoj Parida, drew critical comments from the city residents as soon as he tweeted, "No noise pollution from crackers till nowhellip; Feels good (5:59pm)."
Residents from Sectors 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 34, 35, 44, 45 and 46, Mani Majra, Kishangarh, Kaimbwala, Dhanas and Maloya complained of noise from bursting crackers and air pollution. Residents in Sectors 35, 42 and 51 were irked that there was no police presence in the markets after 9 pm.
The UT had promised much to implement the ban by invoking the Disaster Management Act 2005 besides booking offenders under Section 188, IPC. While the former mandates two-year imprisonment, the latter carries a maximum jail of three months.
A few residents opined that the idea of imposing a ban on crackers was more or less a meaningless exercise when relaxations were given in the neighbouring Mohali and Panchkula. "The ban can dissuade law-abiding citizens. To deter offenders, you need to enforce it aggressively. Sadly the enforcement part was missing," said Shashipal Nehra, a resident of Sector 18.
The president of the Chandigarh Residents Associations Welfare Federation (Crawfed), Hitesh Puri, said the soft-heartedness of the police was there for everyone to see. "The blanket ban imposed by the Administration on crackers was just not possible," said a resident of Sector 43.
Ward No. 1 councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu said: "People complained of noise produced by bursting crackers from Mani Majra, Nayagaon, Kishangarh and the nearby villages."
Crackers bought from Mohali, Kurali
Most residents of Chandigarh bought crackers from Mohali and Kurali. People were seen lining up at shops selling firecrackers in Phase-7 of Mohali. Kurali, one of the biggest markets of crackers in the region, provided an easy option for those wanting to have a blast.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3ntoAZf
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