Strict guidelines for sale and bursting of firecrackers in Dholai

way2barak, November 4: With Diwali and Kali Puja 2026 approaching, the Dholai Co- District Administration has issued a comprehensive set of guidelines regulating the sale, storage and bursting of firecrackers to ensure public safety, prevent fire related incidents and maintain environmental standards during the festive season.

The guidelines , issued in accordance with government directives and Supreme Court rulings, lay down specific conditions for obtaining temporary licences, maintaining safe storage and sale premises, and adhering to prescribed restrictions on the use of fireworks.

As per the notification, all interested firecracker sellers and vendors operating within the Dholai Co-District must formally apply for temporary licences before the Co-District Commissioner, Dholai. The sale of fireworks will be restricted exclusively to the approved categories specified under Schedule-I of the Explosive Rules. These include Stars (all sizes), Rasi, 28 Crackers, Rocket, Snake Carton, Ground Chakkar, Sky Show (all sizes), Rang Mahal, Colour Matches, Twinkling Torch, Paper Bomb, Colour Kati, Tarabati, Flower Pots and Kit Kat (small sizes). The temporary licences issued in this regard will remain valid up to November 9, 2026.

The Dholai Co- District administration has also prescribed stringent safety and structural requirements for firecracker storage and sale premises. Fireworks must be kept in sheds constructed with non-flammable materials, while the storage and sale premises should be housed in closed and secured brick or concrete buildings to prevent the spread of fire in the event of an accident. Such sheds must maintain a minimum distance of three metres from each other and 50 metres from any potential work structure, and must not face one another.

The guidelines further prohibit the use of oil-burning lamps, gas lamps or naked lights inside the sheds or within their safety zones. Electrical lighting, wherever used, must be securely fixed to walls or ceilings with flexible wiring strictly prohibited. Each premises must have a minimum floor area of nine square metres, with independent entry and exit facilities, and must be situated at ground level. In multi-purpose buildings, firecracker storage premises cannot be located beneath staircases or in a manner that obstructs movement.

The administration has made it clear that fireworks must not be displayed or stored in shop windows used for displaying other goods or near flammable materials. Only the permitted stock quantities may be maintained, and any excess stock will be liable to seizure.

The sale, storage or import of high-sounding bombs, foreign made crackers and illegal firecrackers has been strictly prohibited. Only Indian-origin green fireworks are permitted. Vendors have also been directed not to operate firecracker sales near fuel pumps and to maintain adequate fire safety arrangements, including appropriate DCP fire extinguishers of 4 kg/6 kg and CO2 extinguishers of 4.5 kg capacity, along with easily accessible buckets of sand and water near storage and sale areas.

Regarding the bursting of firecrackers, the administration has reiterated the restrictions prescribed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its judgement dated October 23, 2018.

 The sale and use of firecrackers generating noise levels exceeding 125 dB(AI) or 145 dB(C) peak at a distance of four metres from the point of bursting are strictly prohibited.

The bursting of permitted firecrackers will be allowed only between 8 PM and 10 PM. Their use and bursting are also strictly prohibited in silence zones, particularly in areas near hospitals, educational institutions and courts. Citizens have been urged to avoid high-noise-producing crackers and give priority to public safety, environmental concerns and security.

The Dholai Co- District Administration has appealed to residents, traders and event organisers to extend their cooperation in ensuring strict compliance with the prescribed guidelines so that the festive celebrations remain safe, peaceful and orderly across the district.

This is stated in a press release issued by the Regional Office of Information & Public Relations, Barak Valley Zone, Silchar, Assam.