Nagpur: For the third year in a row, firecrackers randomly bought from different markets by regional Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officials were found to be within the permitted 125 decibel (dB (A)).On Tuesday, the regulator conducted the testing ahead of Diwalifestival at the Explosives Testing Center, National Academy for Petroleum Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) at Gondkhairi, on the outskirts of city.MPCB, PESO and other stakeholders including city police were part of the annual pre-Diwali exercise.According to the noise pollution rules (amendment) 2016, the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers generating more than 125 dB (A) at 4 metre distance from the point of bursting is prohibited.A total of 31 bombs including rassi bomb, laxmi bomb, 25 shots showers were burst at the testing ground. Two noise level meters were placed to record the sound levels.Rajendra Patil, sub-regional officer, MPCB, said none of the tested firecrackers showed higher noise levels. Rassi bomb made by Sparsh Fireworks at Dighori recorded highest noise level of 84 db (A) and Two Sound Colors by Dinesh Fireworks recorded the lowest of 70.6. Chemical composition of crackers was not mentioned on their cover. Yet, they dont qualify for any action as they were under permissible limits, he said.The tested firecrackers also had Neeri logo, indicating they were environmental-friendly and used the prescribed chemical composition which cuts emissions of harmful metals like barium, sulphur, aluminium, geolite.Hema Deshpande, regional officer, MPCB, cautioned against overuse of crackers during the celebrations. The testing was done in isolation while bursting of large number of firecrackers may cause a bigger impact, she said. The ambient air quality would be analysed post-Diwali as it takes more than 8 to 12 hours monitoring to study the presence of PM2.5, PM5 and PM10 levels besides other heavy metals.We also published the following articles recentlyDiwali firecracker bursting: Chennai police issue dos and dontsThe Chennai city police have released guidelines for residents on bursting firecrackers during Diwali. The advisories include only using green crackers during specific time slots, avoiding Chinese-made crackers, and not bursting crackers near flammable materials or on roads. People are also urged to supervise children while bursting crackers and to educate them on fire safety. The police have assigned thousands of personnel to ensure a safe Diwali and will take action against those who violate the guidelines.Juhi Parmar urges fans not to burst firecrackers for Pollution-free Diwali; says, The air quality is worse than ever, we can together make a differenceActress Juhi Parmar is promoting a pollution-free Diwali this year due to the worsening air quality in Mumbai. She made a video with her daughter, teaching her about the importance of not bursting firecrackers. Juhi urged her fans to consider the environment and avoid firecrackers, as the impact on the environment can harm our health. Fans appreciated her initiative, and Juhi hopes that together, they can make a difference.Banned crackers were part of Maidan fireworks show: CopsKolkata Polices preliminary inquiry into the death of a police horse during a firework display outside Eden Gardens revealed that banned crackers were used. The agency appointed by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for the display used the banned crackers, confirmed by the police. The police will contact the agency soon, but no case has been registered yet. The police report also detailed how horse handlers were injured during the incident. The empty cases of aerial fireworks were manufactured by reputable companies in Tamil Nadu.

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