Article on Increasing noise pollution in Delhi
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The busy ITO junction in Delhi registers around 74 decibel (dB) of sound on a typical day , almost 10db over the limit for commercial areas. The level near Acworth Hospital in Mumbai's Wadala is usually 70dB, almost 20dB more than what's permitted in such a zone.
Noise pollution
is now linked to many ailments from irreversible hearing loss to anxiety attacks to hypertension and heart disease. Considering that every 10dB increase makes the sound twice as loud to the human ear, the health implications for a regular commuter are serious. The situation is so bad in cities that ENT specialists now say a 20dB loss in hearing among urbanites isisq “normal“.
TOI had earlier published findings from a four-year study on noise pollution in which Mumbai emerged as the noisiest city, just ahead of Lucknow and Hyderabad while Delhi stood fourth and Chennai fifth. Over the coming weeks and months, we hope to initiate a debate that will examine the crucial aspects of this growing problem.
If an audiogram of a person living in Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata shows 20dB hearing loss, we will disregard it as normal. But we would be worried if the patient with such a hearing loss hailed from a rural area,'' says ENT specialist Dr Divya Prabhat who is attached to a teaching hospital in central Mumbai.
Delhi Pollution
Control Committee (DPCC) met the noise standards. In fact, the noise at these spots was about 5 to 10 decibels higher except for Mandir Marg where the level was closer to the safe standard. Another recent study on noise levels in the city, carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), revealed that even “silence zones“ -mainly areas within 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts -didn't meet the safe standard.
The data only reiterates what people across the city have to suffer every day -annoyingly loud noise, irrespective of whether it's a residential or commercial area. A CPCB report released earlier this year, “Status of Ambient Noise Level in India“, that had observations on noise levels in three silence zones -Delhi College of Engineering, Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology and Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Dilshad Garden -and two commercial areas of ITO and East Arjun Nagar, between 2011 and 2014, highlighted the scale of the problem.
ITO, for instance, didn't meet the safe standard in any of the four years. WHO guidelines on community noise levels lay down that noise higher than 50 dB(A) to 55 dB(A) triggers annoyance or irritability .A glance at the daily noise levels monitored by CPCB in 2014 showed on most days, the 24-hour average was higher than 50 at locations such as East Arjun Nagar, ITO and NSIT stations. DPCC's data also showed monthly averages ranging around 60 dB(A) in Anand Vihar and Civil Lines, going up to more than 70 in some months at Pun jabi Bagh, a residential area.
CPCB and DPCC scientists concur the largest source are the vehicles. “It's uncontrolled loud honking and the noise of heavy vehicles,“ said one. The traffic police, however, challaned just 35 people for honk people for honk ing in 2015! They were fined Rs 1000 each.
Former bureuacrat Omesh Saigal, a resident of Panchsheel Park, had moved NGT in 2014 on the noise level on Outer Ring Road.The final order is awaited, but a committee recommended measures like minimizing traffic, installing noise and vegetation barriers and using sound-proof glass for windows at home.
A study ordered by NGT revealed the levels ranging from 58 dB(A) to 76.6 dB(A), recorded at 10.40am, 4.50pm and 10.40pm at Panchsheel En 0.40pm at Panchsheel En clave compared to a standard of 55 dB(A) during day and 45 dB(A) at night. “I am waiting for NGT's final or der. It's been close to a year but no action has been taken.
Noise pollution
is now linked to many ailments from irreversible hearing loss to anxiety attacks to hypertension and heart disease. Considering that every 10dB increase makes the sound twice as loud to the human ear, the health implications for a regular commuter are serious. The situation is so bad in cities that ENT specialists now say a 20dB loss in hearing among urbanites isisq “normal“.
TOI had earlier published findings from a four-year study on noise pollution in which Mumbai emerged as the noisiest city, just ahead of Lucknow and Hyderabad while Delhi stood fourth and Chennai fifth. Over the coming weeks and months, we hope to initiate a debate that will examine the crucial aspects of this growing problem.
If an audiogram of a person living in Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata shows 20dB hearing loss, we will disregard it as normal. But we would be worried if the patient with such a hearing loss hailed from a rural area,'' says ENT specialist Dr Divya Prabhat who is attached to a teaching hospital in central Mumbai.
Delhi Pollution
Control Committee (DPCC) met the noise standards. In fact, the noise at these spots was about 5 to 10 decibels higher except for Mandir Marg where the level was closer to the safe standard. Another recent study on noise levels in the city, carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), revealed that even “silence zones“ -mainly areas within 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions and courts -didn't meet the safe standard.
The data only reiterates what people across the city have to suffer every day -annoyingly loud noise, irrespective of whether it's a residential or commercial area. A CPCB report released earlier this year, “Status of Ambient Noise Level in India“, that had observations on noise levels in three silence zones -Delhi College of Engineering, Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology and Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Dilshad Garden -and two commercial areas of ITO and East Arjun Nagar, between 2011 and 2014, highlighted the scale of the problem.
ITO, for instance, didn't meet the safe standard in any of the four years. WHO guidelines on community noise levels lay down that noise higher than 50 dB(A) to 55 dB(A) triggers annoyance or irritability .A glance at the daily noise levels monitored by CPCB in 2014 showed on most days, the 24-hour average was higher than 50 at locations such as East Arjun Nagar, ITO and NSIT stations. DPCC's data also showed monthly averages ranging around 60 dB(A) in Anand Vihar and Civil Lines, going up to more than 70 in some months at Pun jabi Bagh, a residential area.
CPCB and DPCC scientists concur the largest source are the vehicles. “It's uncontrolled loud honking and the noise of heavy vehicles,“ said one. The traffic police, however, challaned just 35 people for honk people for honk ing in 2015! They were fined Rs 1000 each.
Former bureuacrat Omesh Saigal, a resident of Panchsheel Park, had moved NGT in 2014 on the noise level on Outer Ring Road.The final order is awaited, but a committee recommended measures like minimizing traffic, installing noise and vegetation barriers and using sound-proof glass for windows at home.
A study ordered by NGT revealed the levels ranging from 58 dB(A) to 76.6 dB(A), recorded at 10.40am, 4.50pm and 10.40pm at Panchsheel En 0.40pm at Panchsheel En clave compared to a standard of 55 dB(A) during day and 45 dB(A) at night. “I am waiting for NGT's final or der. It's been close to a year but no action has been taken.
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