Locals complain of sleepless night; traders blame sudden surge in licensed shops
Sunil Chadha
SHIMLA:
Despite the two-hour window fixed by the district administration, several parts of Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla continued to echo with the sound of firecrackers late into the night on Diwali.
The directive issued by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap had allowed residents to burst only green firecrackers between 8 pm and 10 pm, but the orders were largely ignored as crackers went off well past midnight.
What made it more striking was that similar restrictions had been strictly enforced during Diwali in 2023 and 2024, when police patrols and awareness campaigns had kept the celebrations within the prescribed limits. This year, however, many residents said it felt as if the city had slipped back into old habits.
‘It was like a war zone past 11 pm’
Residents across Lakkar Bazaar, Tutikandi, Sanjauli and Chhota Shimla complained that the loud bursts continued well beyond the permitted time, disturbing children, elderly people and even pets.
“I thought things would be quieter this year with all the talk about green crackers and time limits, but the noise just kept going,” said Anita Sharma, a resident of Kaithu. She said it felt like a war zone after 11 pm as no one seemed to care about the rules.
Another resident, Rajesh Chauhan from New Shimla, said, “My aged parents and our dog were terrified. The DC’s order seemed to have no meaning after 10 pm. Crackers kept bursting even past midnight.”
Several locals also shared videos on social media tagging the authorities, urging stricter enforcement in future festivals.
Traders cite business boom, too many cracker stalls
Firecracker traders, however, said the violation was a result of the high number of temporary shops that were licensed this year. “More outlets meant more stock in circulation. People kept buying till late evening, so naturally, the bursting went beyond the scheduled time,” said a trader at Sanjauli.
He added that despite the guidelines on green crackers, many buyers were unaware of the difference. “Most customers don’t understand what qualifies as a green cracker. They just go by noise and brightness,” he said.
Another trader from Dhalli claimed that the festive rush and limited police manpower made it impossible to control how long people burst crackers. “The administration should also run awareness campaigns earlier,” he added.
Officials promise stricter checks next time
A few officials acknowledged that violations occurred and said reports from multiple areas were being reviewed. “We had issued clear directions in line with the past Supreme Court and NGT guidelines. Enforcement teams were on duty, but given the spread of the city, some violations went unnoticed,” said a senior official in the district administration.
He added that future celebrations might see a “more coordinated crackdown” with patrolling teams and drones to track noise violations.
