DMs, Cops Asked To Stay Alert For Curbing Noise Pollution During New Year Celebrations

The state Environment department has issued strong instructions to the district magistrates and the police administration to be alert and vigilant when it comes to curbing of noise pollution during year end and the beginning of New Year.

State Environment minister Manas Bhunia said on Wednesday that the DMs, the SPs and the Commissionerates have also been directed to keep a hawk eye to ensure that sound crackers beyond permissible limit are not used during the celebration. Member Secretary of West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) Rajesh Kumar has written a strong letter furnishing a police station wise list of 25000 agencies associated with supply of sound system so that a leash on DJ music can be imposed.

"Our work is to make the administration alert and request them to act. We are hopeful that everybody concerned should try their best to ensure that celebration by a section of people does not cause sufferings to the elderly or those suffering from diseases," Bhunia said. A control room with number 180034523390 (toll free) and 033 23358212 will be operational on December 31 and January 1, so that complaints related with indiscriminate noise can be lodged. The minister reiterated that monitoring of noise pollution from 10 pm , December 24 to 6 am in December 25 has revealed that sound in commercial zone was 56.80 decibel which us marginally higher than the standard of 55. In case of residential zone the sound level was 52 slightly higher than standard 45, in industrial zone it was 49.50 which is less than standard 70 , while in silence zone it was 47.16 slightly higher than standard of 40. The minister also informed that during this year, the WBPCB has identified 5581 spots where open burning has taken place and action taken report has been received for 1444 such cases.