Despite several campaigns being organised to raise awareness about the hazards of firecracker-induced noise pollution, expect a noisy Diwali this year too.

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The reasons: there is a lack of awareness among citizens about the norms concerning bursting of firecrackers and the inability of the police department to notify the draft firecracker rules.

Convenor of the Awaaz Foundation Sumaira Abdulali said the notification draft clarifies many things about the dos and don’ts of bursting firecrackers, but is “yet to be notified.” She alleged that people end up violating norms as they are unsure about them and even the police officials supposed to be enforcing them are unaware and unenthusiastic about clamping down on violators.

“It is necessary for the firecracker rules be notified so officials can be clear about them, otherwise their enforcement will continue to be weak,”  Abdulali said, adding that the police is yet to notify the norms despite filing it to the Mumbai HC in 2010.

The norms detailed in the draft by the Mumbai police, a copy of which is with DNA, specifically mentions the nature of firecrackers, their mandated decibel limits and locations where bursting them is prohibited.

Shivaji Park resident Ashok Rawat, whose PIL managed to get the locality a silence zone status, agrees that despite sustained awareness campaigns, there has been no change in the situation on the ground and  even wit a lesser number of firecrackers found breaching decibel limits, that is no guarantee of a drop in noise levels caused by crackers.

“It remains to be seen if joint law and order commissioner Sadanand Date will enforce the ban on crackers in silence zones by sending police personnel,” Rawat said. Senior police officials said they were unaware about the reason behind the delay in notifying the norms. Denying that the field staff was ignorant about them, they insisted that they are being strongly enforced.

Joint commissioner of police (sdmin) Hemant Nagrale said, “All cracker sellers have been ordered to follow the decibel limits issued by the licensing authority as per the explosives rules, 2008.”