The Hindu : Front Page : City sees more sparkle than sound

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Saturday, Nov 10, 2007
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City sees more sparkle than sound

Special Correspondent

— Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

LIGHTS DOMINATE: Deepavali celebration at Triplicane in Chennai.

CHENNAI: The festival of lights on Thursday lived up to its name in Chennai, with the sparkle and colour of fireworks replacing the sound and din usually generated during Deepavali.

With Sivakasi, the hub of firecracker manufacturing, turning out newer and better products and phasing out high-decibel crackers, noise levels were well within prescribed limits.

“The fireworks industry has implemented a series of measures to bring down noise levels and invested a lot in developing innovative fireworks,” said Environment Department officials.

No noise level violations were recorded by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s monitoring teams that visited various places in and around Chennai.

It was also a Deepavali that saw more fireworks with ‘made in child labour-free factories’ labels in the domestic market. Children from Karuna Clubs in schools enthusiastically patronised them.

No major incident was reported till Friday evening though several fire accidents and minor injuries due to mishandling of firecrackers were reported, government hospital sources said.

The Fire and Rescue Service Department received 54 calls related to accidents caused by firecrackers on Wednesday and Thursday. Of this, 48 were caused by ‘rockets’ landing on thatched roofs and huts.

Until Friday, the Burns Department of Government Kilpauk Medical Hospital received seven patients. One of them was admitted with 20 per cent burns. The Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital saw six children with burns. The Government Ophthalmic Hospital, Egmore, treated 50 patients, five of them as inpatients.

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