According to World Health Organisation (WHO), noise levels are acceptable to a limit of 70dB to the human ear and continuous exposure to higher decibel levels more than 70dB can lead to hearing loss.
Traffic and construction noise are the top sources of noise pollution in Mumbai with decibel levels as high as 110 dB (as loud as concert) and 107 dB (as loud as a power saw).
“Once the data is collated, we will identify the noisiest locations on the basis of – residential, commercial, industrial and silence zones, and which areas are exposed to maximum noise coming from traffic or construction.” We are mapping noise levels on a working day and non-working day,” said P Anbalagan, member secretary, MPCB. “There is an extensive noise mapping exercise underway across Mumbai and similarly at cities such as Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and a few other major cities. Once the results from the study are available, MPCB will issue directions to various government bodies and the police to reduce noise pollution. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here
