In an attempt to curb air and noise pollution, the AAP government is reportedly in the process of coming out with a new set of rules on bursting of crackers in the national capital.
In an attempt to curb air and noise pollution, the AAP government is reportedly in the process of coming out with a new set of rules on bursting of crackers in the national capital. The environment department, tasked with the job of drafting new rules, is of the view that strict penalties should be imposed on the violators of the proposed new guidelines.
A senior officer said that the government was very serious in implementing new rules which could curb the increasing air and noise pollution in the city. The officer said that less pollution was noticed on the Diwali night just because the city had witnessed a phenomenal wind speed of 8 to 9 km per hour. Generally, the wind speed in the city is of 2 to 3 km per hour.
The increase in the wind speed probably took away the pollution out of the city’s boundaries to the neighbouring states. The maximum pollution recorded in the city was at R.K. Puram, where the suspended particulate matter was about 16 times more than an average count.
The official said despite the government’s awareness campaigns to say no to crackers, the sound pollution recorded during the Diwali night was almost same that was recorded during the festival’s time last year. “In some case it was even higher than what was recorded during the previous Diwali.”
Before the Diwali, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had asked the police to take strict action against the wholesale license holders indulging in the sale of firecrackers, which did not meet the set standards set under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 in the national capital. The DPCC had also told the customs commissioner to ensure no importer was allowed to import firecrackers, which violated the prescribed norms, from any country into the city.
In a letter to police commissioner B.S. Bassi, the DPCC had asked him to direct his licensing branch to ensure that all the wholesale license holders were informed about the set provisions and warned that in case of violation, action would be taken against them. The letter said that only authorised crackers whose sound level does not exceed 125 decibels (AI) or 145 decibels at four meter distance from the point of bursting should not be permitted to sell them to any customer. It had also said that colour and light emitting crackers having sound level not exceeding 90 decibels (AI) should be allowed with composition and size design as per the commerce ministry notification and that too within the time prescribed.
