CPCB turns the heat on firecracker units

The Tribune , Thursday, October 21, 2004
Correspondent : Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, October 20

To keep ambient air quality and noise pollution level under control during the forthcoming festival season, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is taking proactive measures in this direction and, to begin with, has notified specific noise pollution standards for firecrackers.

The CPCB has already dispatched its teams to various firecracker-producing units in the country, including those at Sivakasi, Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore. Samples collected from these units will be tested for noise and air pollution levels at different agencies identified by the board. These include the National Physical Laboratory in Delhi, the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, besides CPCB zonal office in Bangalore.

According to CPCB Chairman V. Rajagopalan, manufactures not complying with the standards set by the board would be issued notices. Moreover, manufactures producing spurious firecrackers would be identified and taken action against.

He said these measures are part of the exercise to ensure that non-complaint firecrackers do not reach the market. For this, the collected samples would be tested for various norms, including chemical composition and packaging.

To keep the air and noise pollution under control, the CPCB and its state units conduct detailed ambient air quality and noise level monitoring every year during the festival season. While the quality of air generally deteriorates alarmingly due to bursting of firecrackers during the season, the board has tried to keep a check on the pollution level.

Some of the major findings of the last year’s measurement of air quality revealed that except for sulphur dioxide, the level of all other pollutants at almost all locations had exceeded air quality standards. However, RSPM and SPM levels at BSZ Marg, Patel Nagar and Ashok Vihar were found lower than that recorded during 2002.

Interestingly, even gaseous pollutants like carbon monoxide. nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide were recorded lower in 2003 Divali as against that in 2002. The air quality also improved significantly on the day after Divali.

The average noise level also ranged between 69 and 90 Leq dB (A) against 2002 values of 66 to 82 leq dB (A). The average values for normal days range between 56 and 71 Leq dB (A) The highest average noise level value was observed at New Friends Colony and Lajpat Nagar. At some places the maximum instantaneous values exceeded beyond 100 Leq dB (A).

Meanwhile, to discuss and share the Indian experience in the field of air pollution control with other Asian countries, the MoEF and the CPCB are hosting an international conference on Better Air Quality (BAQ) with the Clean Asia Initiatives (CAI) for Asian cities and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) at Agra from December 6 to 8. As many as 600 professionals working in the field of air pollution monitoring, modeling and control are expected to participate in the conference.

According to Head, Secretariat, CAI-Asia, Cornie Huizenga, the objectives of BAQ 2004 are to improve the science on which air quality management in Asia is based, strengthening the governance structure for urban air quality management, developing stronger stakeholders networks and clarifying the linkage between urban air quality management and long range transport of air pollutants.

 
SOURCE : The Tribune, Thursday, October 21, 2004
 


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