Night curfew lifted in Shillong on Christmas & New Year's Eve

SHILLONG: The East Khasi Hills district administration has lifted the night curfew in the district on December 24, 25 and 31, an order issued here on Monday said.

In a separate order, the District Magistrate Isawanda Laloo, however, issued regulations for the entire district on bursting of firecrackers as part of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

“During the course of the celebration, bursting of firecrackers in public places and public thoroughfares, if unregulated, will significantly affect the air quality and will produce a large volume of noise. Hence, it is deemed necessary to ban certain categories of firecrackers and restrict the timing for usage of all others,” the order said.

The district magistrate has prohibited “the sale, purchase and procurement of foreign-made firecrackers, use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) which cause huge air, noise and solid waste problems, use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding l25 dB (Al) or 145 dB (C) pk at 4 meters distance from the point of bursting, and bursting of crackers within 100 meters of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district healthcare centres, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other areas which may have been declared as silent zones by the concerned authorities”.

It stated that bursting of firecrackers is permitted on Christmas and New Year only from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am, and directed that only licensed traders would sell firecrackers permitted by the district administration and in compliance with Central Pollution Control Board guidelines.