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How many times have we seen a person lighting up a cracker and closing his own ears to avoid the sound it creates while exploding. Is this a real "enjoyment"? Read on to know what the statistics say about this destructive phenomenon of bursting crackers.
Chennai: This Diwali certainly was not a festival to celebrate for people with respiratory ailments as air pollution hit an all-time high.
According to statistics available with the two major public hospitals in the city—Government General Hospital and Kilpauk Medical College Hospital—there was a 20% increase in patients trooping in due to respiratory ailments on Monday and Tuesday. Private hospitals say the percentage of outpatients with asthmatic complaints was much more.
A study of air quality in the city on Diwali day by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has revealed that the average respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) this year was 379 microgram/cubic metre with a range between 249-437 at five locations surveyed, and that of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) a staggering 555 mg/m3 with the range between 409 and 707 mg/m3.
Last year, the highest recording of RSPM and TSPM was only 252 and 415 mg/m3, say TNPCB officials. The preference of the public has shifted from bursting crackers that cause noise to sparkling firecrackers as the 24-hour average noise level this year had dipped by 2% to 74.4 dB(A) compared to 2007, officials said.
TNPCB conducted an intensive awareness campaign covering all the 10 zones, especially in residential areas and slums. As a follow-up, five monitoring teams measured noise levels and ambient air quality at five locations—T Nagar, Nungambakkam, Sowcarpet, Triplicane and Ayanavaram.
The maximum average noise level 81.9 dB(A) was recorded at Triplicane, a residential area. The area topped again in recording the maximum level of RSPM at 437 mg/m3 due to large scale bursting of crackers. “It is because residents prefer to burst crackers continuously,” says a TNPCB officer.
Unlike previous years, the TNPCB did not record the post Diwali readings, when the north Indian community celebrates the festival, due to a directive from the Central Pollution Control Board.
Firecrackers trigger fire at weaving unit
Asilk weaving unit, which was working out of a hut in Mettu Street, Kancheepuram, was gutted in a fire accident caused by Diwali firecrackers. According to the police, the small weaving unit of Parthipan, which was working out of his house went up in flames when a rocket cracker accidentally fell on his hut on Diwali night. The fire spread very fast, destroying the weaving equipment and his entire material inside the house. Four newly woven silk sarees were also completely burnt in the fire.
Courtesy: Times of India |
