Mumbai: Believe it or not! Firecrackers have become less noisy

Firecrackers used in the city have gotten less noisy The most commonly available firecrackers tested by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB for ambient noise levels sound pollution before this Diwali ranged up to 934 decibel dB significantly below the maximum permissible limit as per the Central Pollution Control Boardrsquos CPCB rules which is 120 dBTest results for 2025A detailed report of the test conducted by MPCB on 25 most commonly available fire crackers at the RCF grounds in Chembur revealed that the decibel levels of each of these firecrackers ranged between 572 dB and 934dB These figures show a stark improvement in sound pollution from firecrackers in the past 20 years mdash since 2005 when MPCB in partnership with Mumbaibased NGO Awaaz Foundation started testing the firecrackers for sound pollution However only 18 out of the 25 firecrackers displayed their decibel levels on the packagingComparing previous testsIn 2005 28 types of firecrackers were tested for sound pollution nine of which exceeded sound levels of 120 dB and 15 others exceeded 100 dB Subsequently in 2008 24 types of firecrackers were tested for sound pollution and all of them were found to be ldquounfit for use in residential areas and silence zonesrdquomidday assessed data from MPCB and Awaaz foundations tests regarding firecrackers and noted that dB levels have halved in 20 years Officials have attributed the improvement to a government crackdown on manufacturers awareness programs and advocacy by NGOsWhatrsquos permissibleAccording to CPCB rules the decibel levels should be up to 120 dBA mdash a frequency for audibility for humans and up to 145 dBC mdash a measurement of audibility for birds and animals Firecrackers fall under lsquoClass 7rsquo of the Explosives Act and are liable to stringent norms for manufacture handling and sale Manufacturers are required to disclose dB levels of firecrackers on the packaging the chemical composition and whether the firecracker is ecofriendlyReason for changeMPCB annually conducts tests on commonly available fire crackers across all 12 zones of Maharashtra with Mumbai and Navi Mumbai being considered one zone each The tests are followed by regular awareness campaigns throughout the year For manufacturers flouting norms action is taken by MPCBrsquos Explosives Department Speaking with midday during annual tests a senior official from MPCB said ldquoAll tested firecrackers being within the required dB levels shows that advocacy with manufacturers over the years has worked and that we were able to create awareness among them about what is allowedrdquoSumaira Abdulali from Awaaz Foundation said ldquoIn the past two decades we have seen a significant improvement in the manufacturing of the product itself It shows that MPCBrsquos efforts to check noise pollution from firecrackers is yielding results While this presents a hopeful picture we are far from successfully curbing noise pollution from firecrackers The numbers are a positive indication But during tests on firecrackers each is burst individually However during festive celebrations citizens are experiencing too much noise as multiple firecrackers are being burst together So the perception of sound is very different in reality We still have a long way to go and these numbers should be reduced furtherrdquo