November 4, 2013
Pollution levels lower this Kali Puja
Less number of firecrackers were burst this year on Kali Puja and the city saw a decline in noise and air pollution level as compared to last year, said Professor Binay K Dutta, chairman of West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).
However, the final report on noise and air pollution levels during Diwali and Kali Puja will be prepared only after the festive season, Prof. Dutta said.
The pollution control board sent 26 teams in the city to keep a check. More than 50 complaints were received regarding noisy firecrackers and immediate actions were taken against them, said Prof. Dutta.
When asked about the numbers of violators arrested for bursting firecrackers beyond the permissible limit this year, Joint CP (headquarters), Mr Rajiv Mishra, said: “This year less number of persons were arrested from various parts of the city for bursting firecrackers beyond the permissible limit of 90 decibel. A special task force was deployed in several parts of the city to arrest the violators.“
Apart from the noisy firecrackers, people were also inconvenienced by the loudspeakers. The WBPCB teams received complaints against such problems. This year, there has been a serious dip in bursting of firecrackers, as police have kept a tab on banned firecrackers and many awareness campaigns by various organisation in the city has also helped.
