Bursting of crackers on Friday afternoon ignited a communal flare up at Indore resulting in stone pelting from members of two communities that caused injuries to more than a dozen people while the unruly crowd also burnt some vehicles.
North Kolkata Kennel Club has requested people not to throw crackers on stray animals.
Police seized banned crackers weighing around 400 kg following raids in different parts of Sankrail in Howrah district on Tuesday, one week ahead of the Kali Puja and Diwali festival.
Different social organisations have raised alarm at the indiscriminate use of high-intensity sound crackers and playing of DJ sound systems during the Durga idol immersions.
Gopal Rai said 15 teams comprising 157 members in all would be constituted not only to make people aware of the threat to their health posed by firecrackers but also to monitor the sale, purchase and use of such items.
According to the air quality index (AQI) of the Central Pollution Control Board (CBCB), the town recorded an AQI of 130 at 11 pm last night. It later went up to 174 at 1 pm today, while the AQI of 171 was measured at 4 pm, and it was 170 at 7 pm. The reading remained the same at 170 at 8 pm and 9 pm.
Reports of firecrackers being used despite the ban are also came in from cities like Kanpur where AQI was 750 on Sunday morning.
Palaniswami in a letter to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said: "There is no empirical or validated data to demonstrate that the bursting of crackers has any effect on COVID patients."
Priyanka is being heavily trolled on the social media, with some calling out her "hypocrisy" in the matter.
Diwali in Tamil Nadu this year is on the early morning of November 6.
