BackNoise pollution well above safe levels on Diwali: CPCB
Noise levels at 90% of 70 locations monitored across seven major Indian cities were well above safe levels on Diwali
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New Delhi: During Diwali, noise pollution was well above safe levels across major metros, including Delhi and Mumbai, according to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report.
The CPCB recorded noise levels at 90% of 70 locations monitored across seven major Indian cities that were well above the safe noise levels on Diwali.
CPCB analysed the ambient noise level assessment in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“Out of 70 locations, only Peeniya and Whitefield in Bangalore, Jeedimetla and Addapotharam in Hyderabad, Tartala in Kolkata, Talkatora in Lucknow and Andheri in Mumbai are meeting both the day time and night time (noise) standards. (But) all these seven locations are in industrial zones," said the CPCB report.
A CPCB official, who did not want to be identified, said the report shows that all non-industrial areas had high noise levels.
“On Diwali, 63 of the 70 locations monitored had noise levels over the safe limit. The areas which had noise levels within safe limit were all within industrial zones," the official said.
According to the study, all the locations in Delhi and Chennai were “above the prescribed limits for day and night time (noise levels)".
The maximum sound level was observed at New Market in Kolkata, followed by Domlur in Bengaluru and Gomti Nagar in Lucknow. The minimum sound level was observed at Chinhat in Lucknow, followed by Powai in Mumbai and near the zoo in Hyderabad.
The CPCB official said noise pollution on Diwali has continued to show an upward trend over the past five years.
The report notes an increasing trend, with marginal variation at 26 locations in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Lucknow over the past five years on the day of Diwali.
However, eight locations showed a decreasing trend or no change, across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, compared with the past few years.
In March 2011, the government had set up the National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network (NANMN) through CPCB and the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) to monitor noise on a 24x7 basis in India’s seven largest cities. Under NANMN, 70 stations exist in seven cities—10 each in Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai (including Navi Mumbai).
CPCB, meanwhile, is also working on new noise pollution standards. The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, were last amended in January 2010 to reduce noise levels at night and from public address systems.
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