Bengal Pollution Board Confident Kolkata Will Celebrate a Quiet Diwali

Kolkata: The West Bengal Pollution Control Board on Wednesday said that they are confident that this year Kolkata citizens will adhere to the 90 decibel permissible limit during Diwali and Kali Puja.

To this end, WBPCB has handed out 300 noise pollution monitors to the Kolkata Police.

The noise pollution monitors are part of an order of the National Green Tribunal to distribute 700 noise pollution monitors, which is still in process.

Kalyan Rudra, chairman, WBPCB, said, “We have requested the police to create awareness through mobile announcement system apart from giving them noise pollution monitors. WBPCB has a control room where any citizen can complain. From our end, a group will be roaming in and around the city to find if there is anything above the permissible limits. It should be celebration of lights, not noise pollution.”

Since the FIFA U-17 World Cup matches are being held in Kolkata, special attention was given to the schools around Salt Lake area where children were made to take an oath during morning assembly, to abide by the norms as regards noise pollution.

Apart from this, the WBPCB also met the secretaries of various residential high rises, asking them to keep the terrace locked post 6pm and prevent residents from bursting crackers on the rooftop, to which most have agreed. In any case, bursting of crackers post 10pm is not allowed in the city.

However, some are not convinced. Environmentalist Subhas Dutta said, “These monitors have been given to control sound pollution only and this has been given under the direction of the National Green Tribunal. This has nothing to do with Diwali. What about general sound monitoring systems like loudspeakers and microphones?”

He added that it is tough to gather proof that the permissible limit was violated and there are no strict laws to book citizens.

State environment minister Sovan Chatterjee, who is also the Mayor of Kolkata, said, “For the environment department, the implementation of a court order like that in Delhi does not apply in Kolkata. The limit of crackers within 90 decibel still applies and the people of Bengal will still comply.”