Chhattisgarh government's 'Green and Clean Diwali' campaign seemed to have yielded results with the levels of noise and air pollution in Raipur and Bilaspur, two major cities of the state, falling significantly this year.
As per the data collected between 6 pm yesterday to midnight by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB), the air pollution level dropped by around 22 per cent in the state capital compared to the last year, and by 38 per cent in Bilaspur.
A seven per cent fall was registered in noise pollution levels in Raipur and a 23 per cent fall in Bilaspur.
The statistics indicated fall in the levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) or PM10 and oxides of Nitrogen (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) -- which are associated with respiratory disorders -- in the two cities, CECB's PRO Amar Prakash Savant told PTI.
In Raipur, the PM10 level was recorded at 82.04 micrograms per cubic meter, against 104.6 last year. The sound level was registered at 91.33 decibels (dB) yesterday against 97.21 dB on Diwali in 2016, Savant said.
In Bilaspur, the PM10 level was 92.3 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to 148.7 last year. The noise level was 82.3 dB this year compared to 119.1 dB in 2016, he said.
Raipur registered a significant decline in levels of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide too, he said.
Ahead of Diwali, chief minister Raman Singh had appealed people to boycott Chinese crackers and comply with the directives of the Supreme Court regarding bursting of crackers.
The government also banned firecrackers which emit high-decibel sound and cause greater air pollution.
Principal Secretary, Environment and chairman of the CECB Aman Kumar Singh had asked district collectors to run a public awareness campaign 'No Crackers', the PRO said.
School children were also involved in the campaign which made it more effective, he said.
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