AGARTALA, Oct 13 (TIWN): With an aim to ensure pollution free celebration of Laxmi Puja and Diwali, the administration along the police has been conducting raid in various major shops of the capital.

SDM Asim Saha said that in order to ensure pollution free celebration the administration will continue the process of raid till Diwali. He further mentioned that a vigilance team has been formed by the Pollution Control Board to keep strict attention over the selling of high decibel firecrackers.

The team will carry sound devices to check the decibel of the firecrackers and the also there will be devices to check the quantity smoke produced by the fire crackers, said SDM.

The random raids were conducted from Sunday onward to assess whether the shopkeepers or the traders were meeting the permissible norms of sound pollution and the chemicals being used to manufacture them.

While the initiative comes ahead of the Diwali festival, the level of sound and air pollution in the city gets worse due to the fire crackers.

According to Tripura State Pollution Control Board under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the maximum permissible noise level of firecrackers has been fixed at 90 decibel impulse noise at five meters from the source.