To,
The Director/Ex Officio Joint Secretary,
Science, Technology & Environment
Department of Science, Technology & Environment
Govt of Goa.
Sir,
It is very unfortunate that the Department of Explosives nor the Goa State Pollution Control Board have not taken note of the severe violations found on almost every parameter of firecrackers, including noise pollution levels, which exceed maximum permissible levels for manufacture, disclosure of chemical content and date of manufacture on packaging and that illegal firecrackers continue to make their way into the market in contravention of Supreme Court Orders.
Firecrackers fall under 'Class 7' of the Explosives Act. Any explosive device which does not meet the parameters specified in Class 7 would necessarily be classified in some other Class of the Explosives Act and would be liable to extremely stringent norms for manufacture, handling, and sale as befits any other explosive device including home made bombs, arms and ammunition.
Firecrackers also necessarily contain numerous hazardous chemicals as defined under the Hazardous Chemicals Rules notified under the Environment Protection Act. All these chemicals are completely banned for handling by members of the public as they are considered unsafe and can be misused of making crude bombs. We request immediate action to ensure that fire crackers which are available in the market for use by ordinary citizens do not contain any chemical listed as hazardous including aluminium, magnesium, lead, manganese, strontium, copper, potassium nitrate etc.
Residents are suffering the ill effects of excessively noisy and dangerous firecrackers. We request that the Department of Explosives, along with the Goa State Pollution Control Board, should take immediate steps to regulate the firecracker industry and bring it within the parameters of the law and Supreme Court Orders with regard to maximum permissible noise levels, fill disclosure of chemical content on packaging and restriction on hazardous chemicals as additives similar to West Bengal where firecrackers above 90dB are strictly banned.
In the meanwhile , we request you to direct the Police who are the only authority which can take penal action against "Sale and Use" of firecrackers exceeding permissible decibels .
Thanking you,
Yours Truly,
The Citizens Committee on Noise Pollution
CC The Chairman of Noise Committee, Collector & District Magistrate, North Goa,.
To,
The Collector & District Magistrate
North Goa District, Collectorate Building
Panji, Goa.
Sir,
It is very unfortunate that the District Superintendent of Police nor the Goa State Pollution Control Board have not taken note of the severe violations found on almost every parameter of firecrackers, including noise pollution levels, which exceed maximum permissible levels for manufacture, disclosure of chemical content and date of manufacture on packaging and that illegal firecrackers continue to make their way into the market in contravention of Supreme Court Orders.
Firecrackers fall under 'Class 7' of the Explosives Act. Any explosive device which does not meet the parameters specified in Class 7 would necessarily be classified in some other Class of the Explosives Act and would be liable to extremely stringent norms for manufacture, handling, and sale as befits any other explosive device including home made bombs, arms and ammunition.
Firecrackers also necessarily contain numerous hazardous chemicals as defined under the Hazardous Chemicals Rules notified under the Environment Protection Act. All these chemicals are completely banned for handling by members of the public as they are considered unsafe and can be misused of making crude bombs.
Residents are suffering the ill effects of excessively noisy and dangerous firecrackers. We request that the District Administration along with the Goa State Pollution Control Board, should take immediate steps to regulate the "Sale & Use" of firecrackers by issuing license to dealers for sale of certified firecrackers and permission for bursting of firecrackers under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) (Amendment) Rules, 2010.
Provisions of the Environment Protection Act should be applied by the "Authrity" to manufacturers who SELL banned/illegal firecrackers and to individuals who USE firecrackers beyond the 10.00 pm deadline
Thanking you,
Yours Truly,
The Citizens Committee on Noise Pollution
To,
The Director/Ex Officio Joint Secretary,
Science, Technology & Environment
Department of Science, Technology & Environment
Govt of Goa.
Dear Sir,
Your reference: No 7/4/98/STE-DIR/Part-II/ 1321 dt. 29th October, 2010
Subject: Ban on Manufacture, Sale or Use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125 dB (AI) or 145 dB (C )pk at 4 meters distance from the point of bursting.
The Citizen Committee on Noise Pollution is closely working with Ms Sumaria Abdululi, Convener of Awaaz Foundation, Mumbai. At our request she met the Chief Controller of Explosive in Nagpur and handed over a copy of the firecrackers test results conducted by the Committee, as well our letter requesting the Department of Explosive to take action to ban firecrackers such as rassi bombs and loud arieal bombs at stage of manufacture.
We were informed that the Department does not have prosecution powers. The Collector/Police are the authorities for licensing and enforcement. According to the Chief Controller of Explosive, the Police are the only authority which can take penal action against unauthorized explosives at any stage including manufacture, sale and use.
He suggested the Department of Science, Technology & Environment
with Goa State Pollution Control Board should carry out test on all firecrackers and enforce the Supreme Court Orders on manufacture sale or use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125 dB (AI) or 145 dB (C )pk at 4 meters distance from the point of bursting.
.
We look forward with your Department to chalk out an action plan to ensure that high decibel firecrackers do not make their way into the market in future and in the meanwhile to direct the Police to take penal action against the manufactures of loud emitting sound firecrackers and its use after 10.00 p.m. as per rule 5A of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control ) (Amendment) Rules, 2010
Yours truly,
The Citizens Committee on Noise Pollution