RAIPUR: A day after the Supreme Court banned sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR region, the Chhattisgarh government imposed a ban on production and use of high-decibel crackers to prevent air and sound pollution during Diwali.
A statement issued by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) chairman Aman Kumar Singh to all collectors and superintendents of police has instructed them to undertake stricter and comprehensive action plan on taking effective steps to curb sale and use of high decibel firecrackers that contribute to air and noise pollution.
“Bursting of crackers should be prevented between 10 pm and 6 am and a distance of 100 metres should be maintained from hospitals, courts, religious places, educational institutes and other silent zones while firecrackers are burst,” the official notification added. “Ban the sale and use of firecrackers that exceed the limit of 125 decibels at a distance of four metres from the point of bursting,” Singh said.
To seek the support of the masses a special public awareness drive would be launched to spread the ill-effects of bursting crackers and on checking the air, noise pollution during the upcoming festival. The support of students, civil society organisations, government staff and private sectors would be roped-in as part of awareness campaign.
The circular also asked divisional commissioners and collectors to prevent open field burning by adopting measures to discourage farmers from burning their crop residues like straw to check air pollution. The farmers go for paddy stubble burning in agriculture fields after the crops are harvested following the kharif crop season. “The orders of the Chhattisgarh environment department and the National Green Tribunal should be mandatorily followed on this. The agriculture and related departments should carry out extensive campaign among the farmers and seek their support”, the CECB chairman directed the officials.