New Delhi, Sept 11: A high-level meeting of Delhi government officials and others was convened here today to chalk out the strategy to control noise and air pollution during the Diwali season. The meeting, attended among others by Environment Secretary Navin Chawla and NDMC chairman and Special Commissioner of Police K K Paul, decided that besides strictly implementing the Supreme Court deadline for the bursting of crackers at 2200 hours, the areas surrounding large hospitals should be declared as silence areas/zones under the noise pollution (regulation and control) rules immediately. It also emphasised that the noise standards notified by the environment ministry, in respect of fire crackers should be strictly enforced by Delhi Police as well as department of explosives by ensuring that each fire cracker has a sticker indicating the noise level, a release said here.

Bureau Report