Pollution Control Board plans to restrict bursting of crackers only in specified places
Posted on: 22/Oct/2018 12:13:30 PM
In order to restrict the extent pollution created by the bursting of crackers all over the places during the Deepavali festive season, the Pollution Control Board has been reviewing a plan to restrict the public to burst crackers only in specified areas.
The extent of pollution created by the bursting of crackers is rather high. As this tradition is a religion and festival based custom, the government has exclusively trusted on the public awareness on the pollution created by bursting of crackers. This trust alone did not help the extent f pollution during the last year’s Deepavali festival. A pollution level of 777 micrograms was recorded.
The pollution level is measured by the number f particles weighing less than 10 micrograms floating in the air in a cubic metre of air. The permitted level of pollution allows about particles up to 100 micrograms per cubic metre of air. However, during the last year Deepavali period, the pollution level was calculated to be 7 times more than the above-mentioned permissible level.
Because of the high pollution, Chennai had the dubious record of being the 1st among the cities on the extent of pollution at the national level! Moreover, a number of the public was affected with breathing problems, throat irritation, etc, The medical experts observe that this pollution deposits in the lungs can even lead to being affected with cancer.
During the years 2014 and 2915, a pollution measure of 852 microgram and 1000 microgram was recorded respectively in the city of Kolkata. Subsequently, the state government of West Bengal ordered that the extent of chemicals used in crackers production must be reduced and also the sound effect while bursting the cracker to be reduced. The state government also banned the bursting of crackers between 10.00 PM and 6.00 AM, With these measures taken by the West Bengal State Government, the pollution level during the years 2016 and 2017 reduced to 282 and 61 microgram respectively.
In this situation, the pollution control board officials explained the measures taken to control the extent of pollution created by bursting crackers in the Chennai Metro city:
‘A large number of infants/children and senior citizens affected with heart-related diseases and then patients with breathing problem live in the city residential areas. Dogs are also kept as pets in several residences. All these people find it totally disagreeable to the sound and smoke generated by the bursting of crackers.
So, we have been exploring the possibility of restricting the bursting of crackers only in specified places in each locality instead of bursting in front of every house/residence. Also, we are planning to check the quality of the crackers being burst whether they have been manufactured as per the Rules and Regulations.
A meeting is to be conducted shortly to be participated by the Chennai Metro Corporation, The Metro Police department, and the pollution control board officials. Further, awareness programmes will be organised among the public regarding the extent of pollution created by bursting crackers.
The waste created after bursting crackers are not the same as the general waste created n residences. So, in order to treat the waste of burst crackers properly, bursting of crackekers only in specified places will be helpful by a large extent.
