AGARTALA, Nov 7 (TIWN): With the ensuing diwali festival, the officials of the Tripura State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) have already ensured that the noise pollution level should not exceed the specified levels on diwali.

A team comprising TSPCB officials will patrol the city from afternoon till late night on diwali to check any breach in sound levels.

In another good news for the city, the highest permissible sound limit for fire crackers in the state is been fixed at 90 decibel at 5 metres in a public place on the occasion of Diwali. 

The association  have prohibited citizens from bursting fire crackers in public places including the streets this Diwali, as it exposes residents and commuters to noise, air pollution and the risk of injury.

The order will be enforced in the city and suburbs. The police have also put a blanket ban on bursting of crackers between 10 pm and 6 am. Loudspeakers are a strict no after 10pm.

Crackers which exceed the noise decibel level of 90 db are prohibited; the order is enforceable till Diwali.

The police will also be adhering to the guidelines handed down by the Supreme Court in 2005, direct all states to work towards controlling the spurt in noise pollution during festivals. There shall be a complete ban on bursting sound emitting firecrackers between 10 pm and 6 am. However, there is no restriction on bursting of colour/light emitting firecrackers.

The TSPCB also issued advertisements and appeals to the people to check the sound level pollution. According to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, as amended in 2012, the noise level at market places between 6am to 10pm should be below 65 dB. However, a relaxation of 10 dB is also given under rule 5(4) of the same taking the upper limit to 75 dB for special occasions.