Pollution Control Board, Assam PCBA to keep watch on firecrackers

GUWAHATI: Buying firecrackers to celebrate Diwali? The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) is going to monitor the noise level which firecrackers are going to generate during the Diwali days. This is aimed at making Diwali celebrations green. The PCBA has made it crystal clear that there shall be a complete ban on bursting sound-emitting firecrackers between 8 pm to 10 pm.

In a directive issued to various district administrations in the State, the PCBA has spelt them out that firecrackers should not exceed the sound limit as stated by the Supreme Court of India. For keeping the noise limit for firecrackers, the apex court said: “The manufacturers/sale or use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125dB(Al) or 145 dB©pk at 4-metre distance from the points of bursting shall be prohibited.”

In compliance with the SC order, the PCBA is going to carry out, what it says, Ambient Air Quality and Noise Level Monitoring on pre-Diwali day and Diwali days (November 6 and 7, 2018) in certain locations in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Tezpur, Silchar and Bongaigaon. The PCBA has also requested district administrations to depute officers of magistrate rank to accompany its officials during inspection and monitoring on commercial stockiest of firecrackers.