KOCHI: Wednesday will be observed as ‘No Horn Day’ in city limits. This police initiative is aimed at raising awareness about the harmful effects of excessive honking, particularly its contribution to noise pollution and the associated health risks.
“Changing public behaviour is not an overnight task,” says City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya. “On the roads, we often see people honking unnecessarily. By dedicating a specific day as ‘No Horn Day’, we hope to instil civic responsibility and encourage people to think twice before honking.”
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, areas within a 100m radius of hospitals, educational institutions, and courts can be designated as ‘silent zones.’
“The designated locations for the initiative are spread across the city, specifically near areas legally recognised as no-honk zones. Checks will be conducted in these areas, and necessary action will be taken. The key objective of the day is to spread awareness,” the commissioner adds.
TNIE had recently highlighted that the World Health Organization terms noise as an “underestimated threat” to human wellbeing. Exposure to noise pollution, it cautions, can cause “a number of short- and long-term health problems, such as sleep disturbance, cardiovascular effects, poorer work and school performance, hearing impairment, etc.”
Studies, the report noted, have shown that noise levels often cross 105 decibels in areas such as High Court Junction, Pallimukku, Palarivattom Junction, and Kaloor. “Permissible noise limit in commercial areas is 75 decibels during the day. Exposure to more than 100 decibels even for a short period is harmful. Repeated exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels is also dangerous,” Dr V D Pradeep Kumar of the National Initiative for Safe Sound had told TNIE.
Notably, the National Green Tribunal had, way back in 2015, directed the state government to designate areas near hospitals, educational institutions, and courts as honking-free silent zones.