[ad_1]
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has identified 23 out of 31 monitored locations as noise pollution hotspots in the city, according to a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The 23 hotspots were identified based on real-time noise monitoring data assessed for a year from January to December 2021 at 31 locations in the city. ‘Hotspots’ were identified as those locations where the noise level exceeds the standards by 10 decibels (A) or more in the day and night time.
The locations that are on the hotspot list include Jahangirpuri, Ashok Vihar, Karol Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar, Sonia Vihar, Wazirpur, Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh, Mundka and Rohini. These are categorised based on land use. The noise monitoring station at Jahangirpuri, for instance, is in a residential area, while the ones at Kashmere Gate and Anand Vihar are in commercial areas, and the station at Wazirpur is in an industrial area. The limits specified by noise standards in industrial, commercial and residential areas are different.
The DPCC’s real-time noise monitoring data indicates that the station at Jahangirpuri, located in K Block, recorded noise levels well above the noise limit between 8 am and 5 pm on Friday. The noise limit for a residential area in the daytime is 55 dB (A). The noise level at 10 am on Friday was 70.4 dB.
The monitoring station at Kashmere Gate, located at the Inter State Bus Terminal, had high noise levels at night time as well. The highest noise level of the day, of around 69.1 dB, was recorded at noon on Friday. The level fell only slightly to 65.6 dB at 11 pm on Friday.
According to the report submitted to the NGT, the DPCC shares data on the hotspots with the local body and the traffic police to take suitable action to control noise pollution. The DPCC’s report also stated that a committee is being constituted to assess the need for further strengthening the real-time noise monitoring network. The city currently has 31 real-time monitoring stations – 26 of the DPCC’s and five installed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The local body has also been directed to procure more sound-level meters, instruments that are designed to measure sound levels, according to the report.
The report was submitted after an NGT order sought an action taken report from the Delhi government on noise pollution.
[ad_2]
Source link