Kolkata, Dec 28 (IANS): Senior citizens in Kolkata as well as environmentalists believe that air and noise pollution might hit the worst levels during this coming weekend as people will ring in the new year.
A group of senior citizens in the city, through an organisation named Sabuj Manch (A platform for green), has already sent a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging her to direct officials to take necessary steps to stop the menace of burning of high-decibel sound crackers that has become rampant on New Year's Eve for the past few years.
The letter also alleged that barring a couple of exceptions, the state administration had not done enough to implement court- directed norms to keep the decibel level beyond permissible limits on such days of festivity, which in turn causes tremendous problems for senior citizens as well as people with chronic heart or nerve diseases.
Reputed environmentalist and green technologist, Somendra Mohan Ghosh, who has been fighting a long battle for year on the issue of air and sound pollution in the city, told IANS that besides this nuisance of crackers, some added pains are being witnessed during the last few years that is not only restricted on the occasion of the New Year's Eve but throughout the year-end starting from the Christmas Eve.
"The first is rooftop parties in different multi-storied buildings using DJs and soundboxes during this time of the year, which continues till late night and sometimes till early morning, making the lives of the nearby residents miserable.
"Secondly, throughout the year-end week starting from Christmas Eve, different clubs and associations hold open-air music concerts that continue till midnight and at times even after that. No decibel limit norm applicable after 10 p.m. is followed by the organisers of such events. Unfortunately, the police administration turns a blind eye to such menaces," Ghosh claimed.
Another cause of worry for environmentalists is the expected huge footfall at Alipore Zoological Garden this weekend.
"On the occasion of Christmas, we witnessed the level of deterioration in sound and air pollution levels within the zoo premises thus causing immense inconvenience for the animals housed there. So, taking a lesson from that, the zoo authorities should adopt appropriate measures to keep the pollution rates under control as far as possible," Ghosh added.