Making a noise over all that din

Even as the city’s municipal corporation prepares a long-awaited noise-mapping survey, DNA hands out its guide to Mumbai’s noisiest localities. Armed with decibel meters, we measured the sound levels at 20 spots across the city.

We found that the area near Suman Nagar junction on the Eastern Express highway is the noisiest area in the city at 111.1 decibels (dB) . And this was during non-peak hours.

Another observation we made during our survey in Kanjurmarg (near Huma Theatre) was that the noise level soared to 90 dB when an air-conditioned BEST bus (Kinglong) roared past.

Another shocker was at the Metro rail construction site near Ghatkopar railway station. Even when the work was not going on in full swing during the day, a single excavator machine working at the site recorded a 109-decibel level.

According to regulations, complaints of high noise can be sent to the commissioner of police and deputy commissioner of police of the zone concerned with a request to act against violators. If necessary, legal action can be taken by filing a complaint in a magistrate’s court under the Environment Protection Act.