Testing shows all firecrackers sold in city within safe sound limit

Nagpur: Almost all the firecrackers being sold in the city have been found to be within the safe sound limit.
This was revealed during the pre-Diwali testing of firecrackers conducted by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) at the latter’s campus at Gondkhairi. The noise level testing is an annual affair in the state. Since last few years, all the firecracker samples that are being tested in Nagpur have been under the permissible noise level.
According to the Environment (Protection) Second Amendment Rules, 2006, the manufacture, sale or use of firecrackers generating noise levels exceeding 125 decibels (dB(A)) at 4-meter distance from the point of bursting is prohibited.
On Wednesday, a total of 35 sound-emitting crackers were tested by a team of officials, including MPCB regional officer AM Kare, sub-regional officers Hema Deshpande, AN Katole and UB Bhadule. Among the tested crackers, Standard Firework’s Razzle Dazzle, which are a type of skyshots, were found to be the loudest bursting at 99.5 decibels. The lowest sound was emitted by the Benten cracker, a type of maroon, at 66.44 dba.
Last year, the siren whistle from Shree Kaleshwar Fire Works, Shivakashi, was found to be the loudest at 122.4 dB(A).
According to officials, the series cracker which has been banned legally were not found in the local markets. MPCB and PESO have appealed to citizens not to buy any prohibited crackers. “The decibel levels should be checked before buying the crackers. To avoid air pollution and any mishaps, people should burn the crackers in open grounds. Bursting crackers in congested areas does not allow dispersion of pollutants,” said officials.
The board will be carrying out air and noise pollution monitoring during Diwali across municipal corporations of the region.
As reported by TOI earlier, most of the crackers tested by the board were found to exceed the permissible noise limit in 2014. However, things have reportedly improved in the last few years, as per officials. “The safe limit was implemented taking into consideration the ailments that exposure to high level of noise can cause,” they said.
BOX
TOP 5 NOISIEST CRACKERS
Cracker --------------- Decibels
Standard Fireworks’ Razzle Dazzle ------ 99.5
Bandukwala Fireworks Lalkar Sutli Bomb------95
Srinivis Fireworks (Sivakasi) Bomb-------------93
Standard Fireworks Master Piece--------92.6
Sargunam Fireworks (Sivakasi) 2-sound bomb-----------------92