The Hindu : Let it be smokeless Bhogi: TNPCB

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Let it be smokeless Bhogi: TNPCB

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI JAN. 9. The Minister for Environment and Forests, R. Vaithilingam, today launched a campaign for a smokeless `Bhogi' by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

The TNPCB campaigners will go around all 10 Chennai Corporation zones and suburbs on their Green Squad jeeps and bikes and autorickshaws raising slogans `don't burn plastics', `don't burn garbage' and `let's celebrate a smokeless Bhogi'.

Addressing mediapersons, Mr. Vaithilingam said the practice of burning tyres, rubber tubes and plastic and poly vinyl chloride wastes led to emission of toxic fumes like dioxins and furans, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen which were a health hazard.

Though the burning of poisonous materials attracted punishment under the Environmental Protection Act, it would be used more as a deterrent. Action would be taken on persons wilfully burning plastics, rubber and other toxic wastes.

Sheela Rani Chunkath, Chairperson, TNPCB, said the smoke emanating from the Bhogi fires in the congested land space of Chennai created a smoke-screen, coupled with the cloudy morning. With more posters and campaigning, the Board plans to bring down the pollution levels on the Bhogi day. "Last year, the pollution level reduced by 25 per cent over the previous year", she said, attributing the cause to the awareness generated on the subject. The Police and the Board would keep a close watch.

She quoted a Central Pollution Control Board Report to claim that Chennai was the least polluted city and Kanpur was the worst, among those that had a population of over 10 lakhs.

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