Noise levels hit alarming heights in various cities of India on November 13 - Deepavali, data released by pollution control boards revealed.

The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board recorded levels of noise from 6 pm till midnight starting around a week ahead of the festival of lights.

In residential areas, such as Jubilee Hills and Pragathinagar, optimum level of noise was fixed at 45 decibels. But noise levels surpassed the fixed limit well ahead of Deepavali. On November 6, noise levels jumped to 57 decibels in Pragathinagar, and further climbed by around 10 decibels on the night of November 13.

In Jubilee Hills, bursting of crackers pushed the noise levels from 49 decibels on November 6 to 53 decibels on the night of November 13.

In commercial areas of Paradise, noise levels were measured at 80 decibels on November 6 and 81 decibels on November 13, while in Zoo Park nighttime noise levels reached 49 decibels on the D-Night - up from the fixed limit of 40 decibels.

In Patna, the Bihar Pollution Board measured noise level at 119.4 decibels on D-Night - considerably up from the normal level of 108.6 decibels.

Besides, firecrackers caused grievous burns and injuries to the eye in several instances, in addition to creating thousands metric tones of debris.