Pink City turns deaf ear to noise pollution

The noise pollution in the city has reached to such an alarming proportion that even so called silent zones have higher decibel level. Much of the blame rests on city residents who are flouting laws for their own convenience. Come Diwali and defaulters use the occasion as a license to explode ear jarring crackers thus contributing to the noise pollution.

According to the latest statistics released by Rajasthan Pollution Control Board, silence areas which need to have less than 50 decibel noise, go as high as 67.7 decibel on a regular day. It rises up to 72 decibel, which is 24 per cent higher than the maximum prescribed limit. The silence areas include SDM Hospital and Civil Lines.

It is to be noted that the overall situation of noise pollution in the city is turning poorer day by day. The residential areas of the city like Gandhi Nagar and Jawahar Nagar experience noise level of about 18 per cent higher than the maximum limit of 55 decibel during a normal day. The level goes up at 47.27 per cent during Diwali.

“There is a considerable increase in the number of patients suffering from head ache and migraine. Noise pollution, not directly, but indirectly becomes a cause of various health issues like fatigue and lack of sleep. Patients cannot focus for a considerable period, there is no inner peace, and frustration tolerance goes down,” said Dr Akhilesh Jain, head, Department of Psychiatry, ESI hospital.