THRISSUR: The dimensions of the fireworks will have to change, and reduce decibel levels considerably this year’s Thrissur Pooram, collector K. Kowsigan has said. The collector who attended the high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on April 12 along with top officials of Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), said he had issued permission to Paramekkavu Devaswom to take the samples of palm leaf cracker, amittu, dynamite (kuzhiminni) and gundu to be tested and authorised at the PESO unit in Sivakasi.
Thiruvambady Devaswom, which is the other participant in the fireworks, will also submit the samples to PESO. “After getting PESO authorisation, as district magistrate, I will give permission to the production units as per its guidelines,” he told DC. “The decibel levels will be restricted to 125, and as per the directives of the Union government, they need to follow PESO rules strictly."
V. K. Venkitachalam of Heritage Animal Task Force said all these measures could bring about a considerable change in the sound pollution during Pooram fireworks. DC had earlier reported about a study in 2015 conducted by Dr Suresh Babu of Government District Hospital for IMA which found the sound level of 128 decibels inside the semi-sound proof room of the hospital situated near the firework venue.
