BANGALORE : Three of the five noise monitoring stations in the city set up by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board saw a rise in noise levels during Diwali on Thurday night, according to statistics by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Of the remaining two, there was a decrease at one, while levels remained unchanged at the other.
The monitoring stations are situated in Nisarga Bhavan, Parisar Bhavan, BTM Layout, Marathahalli and Peenya.
According to data released by the CPCB, noise levels at Nisarga Bhavan in Basaveshwaranagar was 58 Leq on Thursday, as compared to 59 Leq on the same day in 2013 and 51 Leq in 2012. However, the levels are below the 2011 measurement of 60 Leq.
Leq is the preferred method in which sound levels which vary over time are measured. The measurement is a single decibel value which takes into account the total sound energy for the time measured.
At the KPSCB office in Parisara Bhavan on Church Street, the noise levels on Thursday were 63 Leq, an increase from last year’s 61 Leq. Similarly, the monitoring station at BTM Layout recorded noise levels of 64 Leq, a minor increase over 2013’s figures of 62 Leq.
For Marathahalli, the noise levels remained unchanged at 61 Leq, the same reading as 2013. However, in 2012, the noise levels were recorded at 55 Leq.
Peenya, which plays host to several industries, had noise levels of 61 Leq, probably the most significant increase of the five stations. The previous year’s readings were 56 Leq.
The KSPCB has for many years carried out campaigns around Diwali, encouraging people not to burst crackers. However, this year, no publicised campaigns were announced. The city saw an average increase of around 34 per cent in noise levels on Thursday, as compared to a normal day in Bangalore.