GSPCB to monitor, regulate noise pollution this Diwali

  • 20/10/2015

  • Herald (Panjim)

PANJIM: The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests (MoEF) has directed the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to monitor and regulate noise pollution levels in the State during the Diwali festival and submit a compliance report. Diwali this year falls on November 11. In a letter to GSPCB, MoEF advisor Dr Rashid Hasan has stressed on the need to draw an action plan to monitor the noise levels regularly, in particular, during the Diwali season, as per the protocol provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The directions have been issued following a Supreme Court judgment regarding implementation of laws for controlling noise generated from various noise producing systems and activities, with special reference to fire crackers. Speaking to Herald, GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said that as per the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, bursting of fire crackers has been banned from 10.00 pm to 6.00 am. “The directions are issued to ensure that the ban is followed,” he said. Noronha said that the Board will monitor the noise level at various stations and see that the pollution level is within permissible limits. GSPCB has to measure the noise specifications, which vary at night and day. The noise specifications, basically vary in urban, rural areas at night and day and are mostly between 60dB to 75dB. “In case of fire crackers, the measure of sound crosses 100dB,” the chairman said. MoEF said that CPCB has developed a noise monitoring protocol. Also, a National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network has been established by commissioning 70 continuous monitoring stations, ten in each of seven metro cities, in the first phase.