Stations to monitor pollution levels this Deepavali

The stations will monitor air and noise levels 24/7 and the monitoring would continue throughout the year. The Board has recently procured around 35 new instruments to check noise level and has also trained its officers. The air quality and noise levels will be checked for three days - a day prior to Deepavali, on and after the festival.

According to the KSPCB chairman, the ambient air quality level in 2009 was better when compared to the year 2008. To maintain this and to lower the noise level, the Board is also planning to conduct random check of firecrackers by bursting it and by simultaneously checking if it exceeds the statutory permissible noise level.

"We have appealed to the police and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to issue licences to owners of firecrackers shops after they are directed not to store firecrackers above 125 decibel," said a KSPCB official.

However, through awareness campaigns conducted by the various media we expect reduction in air and noise pollution levels by 25 per cent this year, he added.