State gears up to check noise pollution during festive season

kolkata: The state Environment department will involve all public representatives right upto the Panchayat-level to curb sound pollution during the festive season, which is starting with the Biswakarma Puja on September 17 followed by Durga Puja.

" We will write to all public representatives, including MLAs, chairmans of urban local bodies, 'anchal pradhans' right upto the Panchayat-level and urge them to join hands with our department so that blaring of loudspeakers or microphones beyond the permissible limit do not pose health hazards to the elderly or sick persons. The police administration will also play their role in monitoring permissible sound limit but awareness among the common people will be of utmost importance," state Environment minister Manas Bhunia said.

The WBPCB has been enforcing closure of all illegal cracker manufacturing units and sale of sound crackers beyond permissible limit since the last few years. The minister asked the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) to take suitable measures to check the use of DJ music during festival celebration.

"We have a list of the sound suppliers and we will try our best to ensure that they fit in noise limiters to their sound equipment,"a senior official of WBPCB said.

The National Green Tribunal , Eastern Zone bench in October 2017 had imposed a total ban on loudspeakers without sound limiters.