City getting too noisy

City getting too noisy


BANGALORE: Noise pollution in the city has reached an alarming level, and it’s getting worse by the day, studies reveal.

A survey conducted by the city-based Traffic Engineers and Safety Trainers (TEST) institute shows the major source of noise pollution in Bangalore is automobiles.

Since the vehicular population has been growing by the day, the situation is aggravating fast.

The survey was done in 14 different localities in Bangalore including Hosur Road, Nrupatunga Road, West of Chord Road, Magadi- Tumkur Road, Bellary Road, ITPL Road, Raja Ram Mohan Road.

All the roads have more than the permissible noise levels. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, the maximum noise exposure limits is 55 db during day and 45 db during night.

In Bangalore, most of the busy roads have more than 80 db. ‘‘We found that ITPL road recorded 81.84 db and Tumkur road 98.16 db,’’ said the TEST chairman M N Sreehari.

There has been a tremendous increase in the noise level. For instance, it was 68 db in 1996 at Nrupatunga road which has now crossed 86 db.

‘‘Heavy vehicles and autorickshaws contribute more to the noise levels as compared to other vehicles. Disallowing heavy vehicles in the core city can reduce 26 percent of the noise pollution,’’ the chairman said.

The TEST report is not a warning signal but an SOS to the government to save the situation, as the noise pollution is reaching unmanageable levels.

Recommendations

The committee has recommended banning shrill and multi-tone horns.

‘‘Inclusion of green cover around the residential areas will reduce noise pollution at least by 15 db,’’ M N Sreehari told this website’s newspaper.

He also said that rubber beading to windows and door frames will reduce noise pollution by 80 per cent.

‘‘Minimum of three meter must be specified as distance between property wall and footpath edge which, again, will reduce noise by 3 db,’’ he added.