Waking up out of a somber the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB), besides issuing routine advisories, would roll out mobile monitoring units in different areas to measure intensity of noise pollution during Diwali. The units mounted over vehicles
would be stationed in residential areas and also roam around to grab the data.
The idea is in place since the pollution watchdog does not have sufficient monitoring stations in and around the Capital City, leave alone other parts of the State. “We have issued advisories about using firecrackers of a particular range of decibel only. Our mobile units would roam around that day and collect data from different places which would be sent to the district administration to act upon, if found above the permissible limit,” said Sanjay Kumar Suman, Member Secretary of the JSPCB.
He, at the same time, expressed the Board’s limitations in dealing with noise and air pollution caused due to firecrackers during the festival of lights. “JSPCB is not competent to implement the prohibitory orders. We have forwarded the guidelines in this regard to the civil administration such as all DCs and SDOs for implementation of the directions,” replied the Member Secretary but at the same time added that sound pollution level in the State has not been ‘alarming’ over the period of time.
Moreover, the JSPCB’s reaction seems more posturing and routine in nature as the Board is unequipped with desired resources to deal with the menace which is growing with every passing day. This has its bearing on district administration which is not looking much interested in regulating sell and uses of the firecrackers, even after Supreme Court recent
ruling applicable to Delhi-NCR, at present.
“We do not want to create unnecessary panic and chaos among the buyers and sellers. The administration is also not well equipped to examine the quality and intensity involved into firecrackers. Often we designate places where the items could be sold,” said a senior official of district administration. He admitted that advent of crackers from China is making the situation worse since these are made of highly unsafe and toxic materials with uncontrolled level of mercury, lead, ammonium nitrate etc. “These items are cheaper and people rush to buy. We have no actionable mechanism to control it,” explained the official.
Civil society on the other fells the need of mechanism of some kind which may be lesser preventive in nature. “What I feel that uses of firecrackers cannot be checked completely through just entrusting administrative and judicial orders. Even the Supreme Court in Delhi is not sure whether its order is going to have any bearing on the level of air or noise pollution during this Diwali. Rather there should be heightened awareness generation exercises involving civil society,” said environmental activist Nitish Priyadarshi, who believes that mindless use of firecrackers has comparatively come down.