If action against the manufacturers of firecrackers is not strong enough, crackers, this year too, will continue to pierce your ears, in a test conducted on Monday at the RCF grounds by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) along with the NGO Awaaz Foundation, six of the 16 crackers tested violated the decibel norms.
The loudest one was of Thunder bomb recording a level of 129.9 dB. The permissible level for the crackers is 125 dB.
Of the 16, four were merely about light and colour rather than sound. So effectively, out of the 12 tested, almost half were beyond the permissible level. Amongst those that crossed the decibel level, one was of the single cracker category, while the other five were from the series category.
Single category are those that make one time noise, while the series category are those that have multiple shots or bursts of noise. Thunder bomb falls under the single category.
It was further followed by crackers that are part of the series crackers. Amongst them, the loudest were brands like 1,000 shells, Royal Jaguar, Chak de India, which had 5,000 single pieces of crackers (Ladi bombs). “We conducted the test this year well in advance so that we can get back to the manufacturers for corrective steps,” said V M Motghare, joint director of MPCB. He added, “We will be taking similar tests shortly before Diwali to check compliance by manufacturers.”
The NGO was apprehensive about the action that has not been taken till now. “We hope that some concrete action is taken. The police department is supposed to take action, which they have not taken so far,” said Sumaira Abdulali, the key initiator behind the exercise.
The test also showed how almost all crackers violated the rule by not mentioning the decibel limits on their cover. Not even one cracker that was brought for testing had that written on it. Only 12 of the 27 brought for testing had chemical composition mentioned on them. When asked about the air pollution, Motghare stated that it requires tests that were not done as of now.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}