Shillong, Sep.21: In compliance with the emission norms and guidelines fixed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) with respect to fireworks imported or manufactured in the country, the District Magistrate, East Khasi Hills has directed all manufacturers to ensure that the firecrackers are within the limits prescribed with respect to the chemical formulae specifying proportion/composition as well as the maximum permissible weight of every chemical used and other parameters, so as to satisfy the requirement issued by the Ministry of Environment & Forests under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and also comply with the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

The Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests in its notification, has prohibited manufacture, sale or use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125 dB (AI) or 145 (C) pk at 4 meters distance from the point of bursting and for individual firecracker constituting the series (joined firecrackers), the limit mentioned be reduced by 5 log 10(N) dB, where N is equal to the number of crackers joined together. To this effect, the Government has entrusted Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to prescribe the chemical formulae for 4 types of commonly used sound producing crackers, namely, Atom Bomb, Chinese Crackers, Maroons and Garland Crackers specifying the proportion/composition as well as maximum permissible weight of every chemical used in the manufacture of said firecrackers. (I&PR)