That Indians are loud is not news, however by adding vehicles to the cacophony, it seems that noise pollution has been increasing, marginally but steadily.
That Indians are loud is not news, however by adding vehicles to the cacophony, it seems that noise pollution has been increasing, marginally but steadily.
Statistics with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board collected from five places including Peenya, BTM Layout, Marathahalli, Basaweshwarnagar and Brigade Road show that it is commercial areas and residential areas that have higher decibels of noise, even above the maximum limits, while industrial areas have noise levels way below the limit.
For instance, random samples of noise pollution on Church Street, Brigade Road, on a working day is above the maximum limit of 65 dB between 6.30 am and 10.30 pm, even though the average stays at 62 dB. On holidays, however, the noise increases above permissible limits only in the afternoon.
In Marathahalli, another commercial area, noise begins around 4 in the morning and dies down after 9 am, but rises back up after 4.30 pm and continues late into then night. On Sundays, the high noise levels are once again limited to afternoons.
BTM Layout, a residential area, is the loudest with noise levels going way past the 55- dB limit, almost reaching 70 dB and continuing so, even late into the night. Noise levels are only a tad lower on weekends.
At Basaweshwar Nagar too, another residential area, noise levels surpass the permissible limits and remain high throughout the day. Even at night, the noise levels are above permissible limits.
However, industrial areas such as Peenya are quieter — within the permissible 75 dB during the day, with the levels rarely going above 60 dB in working days and lesser than that on holidays.
AS Sadashivaiah, Chairman of the KSPCB blames the increasing noise levels to both people as well as vehicles. “The commercial as well as residential areas have a lot of crowd density. A combination of the noise that people make and the honking and continuous movement of vehicles contribute to the noise,” he said.
He adds that a lot of the noise is avoidable. “I think people should take cognisance of the fact that they are noisy and mend their ways. There has been a steady increase in noise levels and we should take precautions before they reach alarming highs,” he said.
The KSPCB also plans to begin a campaign in the coming months, in this regard, he said. “We will target school and college going youngsters who seem to be much more open to change as well as civic sense. We will put up hoardings and educate them,” he said.
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