Bhubaneswar: Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has restricted firecracker bursting to a two-hour window from 7 pm to 9 pm on Diwali, allowing only approved green crackers to curb air and noise pollution.
The guidelines prohibit conventional firecrackers, including garland crackers and those producing excessive noise. The noise level of crackers must not exceed 125 dB(AI). Buyers have been advised to check for the CSIR-NEERI certification logo and QR code and purchase crackers only from authorised sellers, sources said.
Bursting crackers is prohibited in silence zones, including areas around hospitals, educational institutions, courts and religious places. Their use is also restricted near slums, shops, busy roads and fire-prone locations, the sources added.
The Board has urged people to avoid prohibited chemicals, including barium, and follow safety precautions. Children below 10 years should not be allowed to burst noise-producing crackers. People have also been advised to keep water or sand nearby and avoid relighting unexploded crackers.
Violations may attract penalties under the Odisha Fireworks and Loudspeakers (Control) Act, 1958, and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, the sources informed.
PNN