Petards have driven a Swedish expat away from Malta for the summer as more people join a chorus of disapproval against the excessive bangs during religious feast celebrations.

Twenty-five-year-old Joakim Nilsson has suffered from Tinnitus - a symptom associated with many forms of hearing loss which creates oversensitivity to loud noise - since he was 15.

"I had no choice but to leave Malta for the summer, and even if the nature of my work permits me to stay away, of course this is not really sustainable," the online marketing project manager said.

A Valletta resident, Mr Nilsson recalls the first time he experienced the petards in 2005.

"I was on a beach and the sight of a small cloud of smoke in the sky was followed two seconds later with a big bang. I thought we were under attack," he said.

The earplugs he decided to wear during the summer did little to block out the noise emanating from the Maltese petards.

"I was scared my hearing would get worse. I had to get away from the racket."

Mr Nilsson contacted the EU Ombudsman but he was told that the issue falls under national jurisdiction. The local police told him that everyone had legal permission to let off petards.

A Facebook group claimed that the petards let off during the Lija feast this year measured up to 156 decibels from a 300-metre distance - that is louder than standing five metres behind an F-16 jet fighter at full thrust.

"Anything over 100 is considered to be over the limit... That could blow your ears out," he said, expressing surprise that there were not more locals suffering from hearing loss.

Mr Nilsson is all too aware that enthusiasts will shoot down his complaints with the argument that fireworks bangs are a Maltese tradition:

"I have full respect for traditions, but this doesn't make sense. There is a line between traditions and insanity. We had the Vikings, but we moved on. I can't tell the Maltese to change things... but this must surely have an impact on the lives of many people."

The Lija feast was anything but a godsend for popular singer and presenter Claudette Pace, who is recovering from an operation.

A resident of Naxxar, she had no choice but to lie in bed with her windows firmly shut to try to keep the noise out. A large glass panel on her balcony was cracked twice because of fireworks in the past, she said.

"Like many other people who are protesting, I am not against fireworks. I am objecting to the excessive bangs. We need to make sure fireworks are safe, and we are only calling for basic respect.

"Do we really need to shake building foundations? Do we really need to ruin people's lives? I was raised in Naxxar and I used to love watching fireworks - and I don't recall hearing such loud bangs."

Ms Pace underlined the need for fireworks noise regulations the same way drivers are instructed to drive within certain speed limits.

She said Maltese firework makers should take the cue from their foreign counterparts and realise that loud bangs need not accompany fireworks.

"When I performed in Australia, there were fireworks, but nowhere was there the noise pollution we seem to embrace here," she said.

The petards debate has now spread to social networks with two opposing groups created on Facebook. In just over a week, more than 2,100 individuals have joined a group calling for the ban of petards in Malta.

To counteract the anti-petard lobby, over 1,100 have joined a group called Favur il-Murtali tradizzjonali f'Malta (in favour of traditional petards in Malta).

One of the discussion groups on the forum is titled 'Aħna Iridu Il Murtali Tal Lob. Nisimaw Il Ħsejjes U Nisimaw It Tfiqija.. Min Ma Joġbuhx.. Iwarbilna' (sic). Translated, this means: 'We want fireworks. We want noise and we want to listen to the bangs. Those who dislike them should get out of our way.'

Although Parliament has approved legislation amending the Explosives Ordinance, there is still no law regulating the noise levels in feasts.

The Archdiocese's Environment Commission chairman Victor Axiak had said that noise levels need to be controlled and, if necessary, excessive noise stopped completely.

He said several experts insist that the maximum level of noise permitted should not exceed 115 decibels. In some cases, feasts in Malta produced bangs that surpassed all acceptable limits.

The blast and tremors caused by powerful shells could also potentially damage frescoes and paintings adorning the inside of church cupolas, Prof. Asciak had warned.

hgrech@timesofmalta.com

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