NEW DELHI: Chennai has emerged as the noisiest city in the country followed by Hyderabad and Mumbai based on the noise levels and number of locations violating standard levels, according to a study by the Central Pollution Control Board.
The locations selected in Chennai for the study included Anna Nagar under the silence zone, T.Nagar, Perambur, Washermanpet and Pallikarnai under the commercial zone, Guindy under the industrial and Triplicane, Velachery and Sowcarpet under the residential zones. The data was analysed for the year 2015 during day and night times.
At most places, the noise level data was beyond the permissible limits of silence zone (50 dB), residential (55 dB), commercial (65 dB) and industrial (75 dB). The data fetched from noise monitoring stations was compared with the ambient noise standards.
At eight of the 9 places—Guindy, Pallikarni, Perambur, Sowcarpet, Velachery, Washermanpet, T.Nagar and Anna Nagar—the noise level was double the permitted limit. In Triplicane, levels were exceeding by 90 per cent.
Vehicles and industrial activities were cited as the major source of noise pollution in Chennai.
“Increasing ambient noise level in public places are a result of industrial activities, construction work, generators sets, loud speakers, public addresses, music systems, vehicular horns and other mechanical devices. It has deleterious effects on human health and the psychological well being of the people,” the study stated.
CPCB chairman SP Singh Parihar said, “The objective of the study was to find collective significant factor and its collective impacts as to help the concerned authorities and planners for decision making at pro-active stage. The data has been communicated to the authorities and will be placed in public domain for mass awareness.”
High levels of noise can cause hypertension, stress, hearing impairment, sleep disturbance and heart ailment among others.
Ambient noise, which is included as an environmental quality parameter is being monitored in specific urban areas regularly. The National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network comprises of 70 noise monitoring stations across seven cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.