On the day of Diwali, smoke emission, resulting from fire crackers and vehicles adding to air pollution was observed four times the standard in Dehradun. This was disclosed by officials of Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) in Dehradun on Thursday.
According to the officials, UEPPCB had monitored the noise and air pollution levels particularly in terms of Nitrogen Oxides and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in different areas of Dehradun during the celebration of Diwali. The team members were deployed between 7.00 pm-12.00 am at different places to monitor the air and noise pollution levels. According to Chandan Singh, Chief Officer, UEPPCB said that air-pollution levels was observed at three ambient air stations in Dehradun situated at the Clock Tower, Nehru Colony and Raipur Road in addition to which mobile vans fixed with sound-level meters were recorded the noise levels at ten different locations of the city to monitor the effects of Diwali celebrations on the noise pollution level.
The sites where noise pollution level will be measured during the festival include the silence zone outside Doon Hospital and Combined Medical Institute, the residential area of Nehru Colony and the commercial area of the Clock Tower.
According to official data, this year, the level of SPM recorded at Clock Tower on Diwali was 487 µg/m³ whereas it was 405 µg/m³ in Nehru Colony and486 µg/m³ at Raipur Road areas. This could be attributed to use of fire crackers besides increased vehicular movement during the Diwali.
According to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard, 100 micrograms per cubic meter is moderate. “SPM higher than that is critical. The level of noise pollution recorded at different locations this year was 81 decibels at Clock Tower, 65 decibels at Doon Hospital and others.
