It's loud, but no one's listening!

 

I landed at the Delhi airport in February this year, on my first visit to the city after 10 long years. I was impressed with the new airport, the connectivity to the city via airport express and the expanding metro. As I got into an auto-rickshaw to complete the last mile of my journey, my eardrums vibrated vigorously with an annoying sound of honking by a biker at the traffic light. He must've been in a hurry, I thought, trying to navigate the traffic to reach his destination. But what I found surprising was, this was supposed to a silent zone, since a general hospital was in the vicinity. 

It got me thinking, are there rules to keep a check on noise pollution? If there is, then are we adhering to it?  

The airwaves in Indian media are filled with stories on the deteriorating quality of air. While air pollution, which is more harmful, gets a substantial amount of air time, noise - the other big pollutant in modern cities in India is rarely heard. 

Noise pollution is often overlooked despite being linked to an increased risk of hearing loss and sometimes leading to premature death. Long-term exposure to noise can cause a variety of health effects including annoyance, sleep disturbance, negative effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic system, as well as cognitive impairment in children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that noise exposure levels should not exceed 70 dB over a 24-hour period, and 85 dB over a 1-hour period to avoid hearing impairment. In India, the Central Pollution Control Board, within the Ministry of Environment has laid out its guidelines, which are then monitored by authorities in the State government. 

Some of the major causes of noise pollution in cities are vehicular horns, construction activity, industrial activity, rail and aircrafts, generator sets, loud speakers, public address systems, music systems, and personal music devices. 

While there are restrictions on time, and designated silent zone to prohibit the use of loud speaker or a public address systems, the decibels peak during festive or election seasons, when there's an absolute disregard for guidelines. 

In order to curb this growing menace the central government should formulate an action plan, in line with WHO guidelines, to tackle noise pollution within a specific time period. A well laid out policy, regular campaigns like no-honk day, decibel meters at major traffic signals and creating more quiet areas, installing noise barrier technology during construction of roads, bridges, and buildings will help reduce noise levels.

In the long-run, the government should encourage and incentivize use of public transport vehicles, creating more infrastructure for electric cars in cities, and promote active travel like walking or cycling and pedestrianization of streets.

These measures are likely to bring in more awareness and encourage responsible behavior among citizens.