When Triplicane residents burst fire crackers on Saturday, it led to an enormous increase in dust particles in the ambient air — more than double the 75 micrograms/cubic metre recorded on the day before Deepavali. The locality recorded 177 microgram/cu.m. on the festival day.
Noise level data provided by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) shows that the residential area was the noisiest in the city on that day.
Except for Besant Nagar, which recorded respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) close to pre-Deepavali figures (90 microgram/cu.m. rose to 102 microgram/cu.m.) and T. Nagar that saw a reduction in RPSM levels from 126 microgram/cu.m. to 113 microgram/cu.m., the other stations saw a spike in pollution levels.
However, experts say that this one-time recording of data alone will not be enough to understand the chemical load in the system on that day. “What is needed is continuous monitoring using, perhaps, sensors that can provide real-time data of pollution levels of chemicals from automobile emissions and road dust on normal days. Using that as the base, the chemical load on festival days must be measured. This would help provide better weather forecasts and, perhaps, take preventive steps,” explained Rajesh Rangarajan, environmentalist.
Echoing his sentiments, fire safety auditor G.N. Venkatasivasubramaniam said: “In the industrial scenario, seasonal data is collected and at various distances from the source of pollution. In this, the length of exposure and the kind of chemicals released too must be minutely examined,” he said.
When noise-emitting crackers are set off, sulphur is used, for rockets carbon and potassium nitrates are used. “Similarly, calcium does not produce an exciting colour by itself, but it enhances colours of other substances,” explained M. R. Sridharan, Scientist, Chemical Engineering Department, CLRI. Sources in the fire cracker industry said that though they had been able to limit noise levels, they were unable to reduce the chemicals used in crackers.
