DIMAPUR, JANUARY 30 (MExN): The Rising People’s Party (RPP) has urged Army and Air Force authorities to consider the “life-threatening impact of sonic boom caused by jet fighters or possible controlled explosion of bombs/ammunitions,” following an incident in Dimapur on January 28.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the party stated that a sonic boom on January 28 “ripped through Dimapur town,” with particular impact on a private hospital housing several critical patients. The RPP claimed the incident “caused one of the patients to undergo a massive cardiac arrest.”
The party further recalled that when the then Interlocutor RN Ravi declared that the Naga peace talks had concluded, sonic booms became a regular occurrence in the Dimapur area. “Whether this was a coincidence or an intimidatory tactic cannot be established but it certainly created fear psychosis amongst the population,” the press release stated.
The RPP requested defence authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the January 28 incident and to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. It also appealed to the state government to intervene, stating that the government “may intercede with the higher authorities in ensuring that low fly overs in Dimapur vicinity is strictly prohibited or even banned due to risk factors related to the health of individuals especially patients and concerns over the structural integrity of buildings.”
The party further said the Nagaland Pollution Control Board should take cognizance of the matter. Citing standards of the Central Pollution Control Board, the RPP noted that the maximum permissible noise level in Indian cities is 75 decibels in industrial areas, while sonic booms range between 110 and 120 decibels.
