‘Restriction on firecrackers should not be confined to Diwali’
Dimapur, Dec. 5 (EMN): The Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) has been monitoring ambient noise levels during Diwali regularly for the past few years according to the Central Pollution Control Board standards.
An effort on the part of the Dimapur district administration this year to curb noise pollution during the festive season by issuing time limit directive seems to have worked as noise levels in the city were recorded to be low during Diwali compared to previous year’s, said NPCB member secretary Rusovil John.
NPCB stated that during festive seasons with the bursting of crackers, fireworks, and use of loud public address systems, the noise pollution level goes higher than the normal decibel sound. Through the ambient noise level monitoring, the NPCB report states that there is a difference in sound level during pre Diwali and Diwali.
This year the ambient noise level monitoring was conducted on pre-Diwali day- Oct. 12 2017, and on Diwali -Oct. 19 2017, divided into three category of areas - residential (Bank colony), Commercial (City tower) and Silence zone (District Hospital, Dimapur).
The data by the NPCB released to Eastern Mirror reveals that during the ambient noise level monitoring from 6:00 pm to 11: 00 pm conducted on the normal day and Diwali day, the equivalent continuous sound level (Leq) was below the permissible limit was unexpectedly only in the Commercial Zone, while the equivalent continuous sound level during Diwali day was above the permissible level in the Residential Zone and Silence Zone.
However, the NPCB said the noise level monitor balanced well with the permissible limit compared to other years and the positive outcome witnessed during the monitoring period was that people adhered to the directives of the district administration during the Diwali festival.
They (NPCB) also viewed that noise pollution or loud sound and the ambient air quality by crackers and fireworks creates an adverse impact on domestic animals.
NPCB also provided the ambient noise pollution during the ambient air quality monitored on Nov. 10 2017 at Purana Bazar Dimapur (the report of NPCB ambient air quality monitored was published on Nov. 24 2017).
The ambient noise pollution monitored for a duration of approximately nine hours (7: 00 am to 2.30 pm)
The NPCB advised that the restriction on firecrackers and fireworks should be not limited only during the Diwali festivals which of course is celebrated with fireworks but the restriction should also be imposed during other festivals where equal amount of firecrackers and fireworks are utilised.
