Top cop's sound check for festival

AURANGABAD: The city police on Tuesday have appealed to the citizens to follow the norms listed in the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 while bursting crackers during Diwali this year.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the city police Chief Amitesh Kumar stated that the state has permitted citizens to burst firecrackers between 6 am and midnight on Sunday.He further stated that the time limit for bursting of firecrackers on rest of the festival days would remain from 6 am to 10 pm.
"In addition to the Noise Pollution (regulation and control) Rules, the upper courts have laid certain guidelines for bursting firecrackers. We intend to implement the prescribed guidelines," Kumar said.
Sources in the police department said that they will closely coordinate with the MPCB officials to ensure that the norms are being followed during the five-day long festival beginning this Friday.
Senior police officers said that on the day of Laxmipujan, there would be no restriction on bursting of firecrackers that have passed the sound pollution test conducted by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
A deputy commissioner of police citing the high court orders said, "In March 2015, the high court had stated that every citizen has a fundamental right to silence and live in peace and comfort, which can't be disturbed by the organisers of religious and other festivals."
The officer also said that people should avoid bursting firecrackers in areas declared as silent zones especially in the vicinity of hospitals.