TNPCB for restraint in cracker sales

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has asked manufacturers and public to sell and buy sound emitting crackers within 125 dB(A) as directed by the Supreme Court and plans to conduct an awareness campaign during Deepavali in all zones of Chennai city.

A pre- Deepavali and on- Deepavali ambient air quality and ambient noise level survey will be conducted in Chennai and other major towns in the State like Madurai, Salem, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Trichy, Hosur, Cuddalore, Vellore and Tiruppur.

Bursting of fire crackers has severe deleterious effects on health and the environment, the board said quoting TNPCB chairperson K. Skandan.

As per the recent SC order, shopkeepers selling crackers are asked to exhibit the type of crackers, chemical composition and noise level. Also, the crackers should not be burst between 10 pm and 6 am.

District collectors have been requested to conduct awareness campaigns through schools, colleges and local bodies.

Last year, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) conducted real- time continuous ambient noise monitoring at 35 locations across seven cities, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bangalore and Hyderabad, to assess the level of noise pollution. Chennai recorded the highest level of noise pollution, followed by Mumbai and Hyderabad.