Professor Rajan Gurukkal | Photo Credit: GOPINATHAN K With less than a week remaining for the famed Thrissur Pooram in Kerala, eminent social scientist Rajan Gurukkal has raised serious concerns regarding the continued use of high-decibel fireworks. Warning of the impacts on air pollution, acoustic stress and public health, the academic also highlighted the risks of conducting the event in the region with a high concentration of hospitals having labour wards and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Published – April 20, 2026 03:49 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Unemployment, environmental issues are major demands, says CPI(M) candidate for Tiruvottiyur constituency L Sundararajan Mission Khapli helps farmers get better prices for Emmer wheat favoured by health conscious customers