Celebrate a noiseless, pollution-free Deepavali, TNPCB urges public

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on Wednesday appealed to the people to celebrate this Deepavali in an environment-friendly manner rather than bursting noise and smoke-emitting crackers.

A TNPCB release said: “During Deepavali, along with wearing of new clothes and distribution of sweets, bursting of firecrackers and colourful lights have become customary for many generations to show the happiness.”

However, the release added, that bursting of firecrackers has severe deleterious effects on our health such as causing deafness (both temporary and permanent) depending on the intensity of noise they generate, besides causing land, water and air pollution and ultimately impact the environment.

In this regard, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court with a request to ban the production and sale of crackers. The court, in its October 23, 2018, judgment has instructed manufacturers to make crackers by using the raw materials that would reduce the emission level. The court also directed them to manufacture and sell green crackers in future.

Based on the above, the State government from 2018, has permitted the people to burst crackers between 6 am and 7 am, and 7 pm and 8 pm. The same time is followed this year too.

Considering the harm caused by bursting firecrackers to the environment, every year, the TNPCB has been taking various follow-up actions in this regard. Accordingly, action is being taken to create awareness among the public through schools, colleges, eco clubs and National Green Corps (NGC) with the help of school education, higher education and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) departments, Director General of Police, all district collectors, Director of Environment and Commissioners of all Municipal Corporations in Tamil Nadu.

Directives of the Supreme Court to the public:

• Public shall burst fire crackers of less polluting and low sound generating green crackers
• Burst crackers as community fire cracking in a common place with the
• permission of district administration / local bodies through the local welfare associations etc.
• Avoid bursting of joined (series) firecrackers that generate huge noise
• Avoid bursting them in silent areas like hospitals, schools, courts and religious places, and also near huts and fire-prone areas.