Bhubaneswar: Today is Diwali, the festival of lights. From the villages to the cities, everything seems filled with joy and celebration. The house is decorated with twinkling lights.In the evening people light diyas sand burst fire crackers. Cracker bursting is allowed from 7 pm to 9 pm only. Diwali brings joy, light, enthusiasm, happiness, prosperity. Holy Diwali is the festival of justice over injustice, righteousness over inequality, truth over falsehood and light over darkness.People are joyous on the occasion, they exchange sweets and gifts. Light plays an important role in Hindu tradition. Darkness is the symbol of evil and negative energy whereas light is holy. So people celebrate this festival by decorating the houses with lights to remove the negative energy from the house.Goddess Kali puja has started all over the country. Preparations are being held for the worship of Goddess Kali in various places. The puja mandaps across the city have been lit up with mesmerizing garlands of colorful lights.The city-based State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has issued a set of guideline for bursting of fire crackers while celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights.The SPCB has urged the people to celebrate Diwali by burning Diyas only and limited busting of fire crackers between 7 PM and 9 PM only and avoid bursting of series fire crackers and crackers generating a peak noise level of 125 DBA.Fire cracker should not be burst near gardens/parks, in silence zone such as areas comprising 100 meters around hospitals, educational institutions, courts, religion places etc. as declared by the competent authority, it advised adding that only green fire crackers are allowed in open areas.It further asked people to avoid using crackers near slum and structures that are easily flammable on road and busy traffic.Children below 10 years are not allowed to burst sound generating fire crackers and wear cotton clothes while bursting firecrackers, the SPCB said adding that the Supreme Court has also banned production and sale of crackers except green crackers. The board also has prohibited the usages of Barium and banned chemicals in fire crackers.
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