by Sumaira Abdulali

1. Introduction

1.1. The World Health Organization published a paper in 1995,

documenting the ill effects of environmental noise on the well being

and health of people and suggesting that noise levels should remain

within certain maximum levels in urban areas.

1.2. The European Union published a Green Paper on future Noise

Policy in 1996. This document claims that a large percentage of

people in Europe suffer from unacceptable levels of environmental

noise.

1.3. In the 1996 Green Paper, it was suggested that noise mapping has

the potential to be an effective and relatively inexpensive method for

assessment of noise data and it’s presentation to serve as a basic

planning tool.

1.4. Several European cities have successfully carried out a noise

mapping study including the cities of Birmingham, Westminster,

London etc.

1.5. The Government of India notified the Noise Rules in 2000. The

Noise Rules are based on the report of a Committee appointed by

the Bombay High Court and several Orders of the High Courts and

Supreme Court of India. The Bombay High Court appointed

Committee concludes that existing noise levels in urban areas of

India are unacceptably high according to health experts.

1.6. The Bombay High Court, various other High Courts of the Country

and the Supreme Court of India have passed Orders to reduce noise

in urban areas through a combination of measures.

2. Background to the Mumbai Noise mapping project

2.1 The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

has undertaken several ambitious infrastructure projects directly and

through its partners in Government such as the MSRDC, PWD, etc.

These projects include the MUTP and MUIP Projects, a Metro Rail

Link, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the Western Expressway and the

Trans-Harbour Sea-Link that will pass through existing residential

and other areas of the city of Mumbai. Environmental clearances

received for some of these projects stipulate mandatory noise

control measures.

2.2 The MMRDA has undertaken to carry out a partial noise mapping of

the city of Mumbai. The World Bank has provided funding for this

project.

2.3 The Project will cover noise levels along transport corridors of

Mumbai along the route of the proposed Metro Rail Link and will

provide information towards measures to control noise for the

proposed MUTP Project. Noise from the proposed Metro Rail Link

will be kept within check using this data.

2.4 The Noise mapping Project envisaged by the MMRDA will not cover

crucial geographic and other requirements of comprehensive noise

mapping in the fast expanding infrastructure of Mumbai. It will not

cover the noise from festivals including Ganpati, Navratri, Id, Diwali

and Christmas, and will not address noise from other proposed

infrastructure projects such as the Trans Harbour Sea Link, the

MUIP etc. Lacunae in data availability due to partial data base of

the MMRDA project will not serve the desired objectives of the Noise

mapping project as a planning tool to recommend and implement

practical measures for overall control of noise levels in Mumbai.

3.1 The overall project objective for the Noise mapping of Mumbai City

is to produce a ‘state of the art’ noise map of the city in sufficient

detail to allow it to serve as a strategic planning and noise reduction

tool and as an aid for decision making on environmental noise

matters. Mumbai city is in urgent need of scientific data to determine

existing noise levels from various sources and to identify measures

to reduce noise levels. Reduction of noise will benefit a large

segment of the population of Mumbai from all sections of Society in

terms of their overall health and well being.

3.2 The Noise mapping project would also serve as a strategic planning

tool to keep noise levels from proposed new infrastructure projects

within health-based statutory limits. The MMRDA Noise mapping will

provide a guidelines towards monitoring noise levels in the MUTP

Project. Other major infrastructure projects where noise levels

require to be kept in check are:

a. The MUIP Project ( implemented by MMRDA)

b. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link (implemented by

MSRDC)

c. The Worli-Nariman Point Sea Link (implemented by

MSRDC)

d. The Trans Harbour Sea Link (implemented by

MSRDC)

e. The proposed Airport at Navi Mumbai (implemented

by CIDCO)

f. Various flyovers including the proposed Peddar

Road flyover (implemented by

PWD/MSRDC/MCGM)

3.3 The proposed Noise mapping project would also take into account

seasonal variations in noise levels including noise from festivals

such as Ganpati, Navratri, Diwali, Holi, Id, Christmas, etc.

3.4 In order to achieve it’s objectives the Mumbai City Noise map

should:

a. Identify and quantify the scale of noise problems in the city

b. Provide information to the public, to politicians and professionals

on the scale and location of the problems.

c. Assist the authorities to reduce noise levels

d. Be a tool, whereby noise levels are taken into consideration

while planning new infrastructure projects which are likely to

contribute to existing noise levels.

e. Suggest mitigation measures required to bring noise levels from

existing sources of noise as well as from the planned

infrastructure projects.

f. Project trends of environmental noise

g. Provide a platform for further research into the effects of noise

on the people of Mumbai.

h. Unacceptably high levels of noise are adversely affecting the

health of residents of Mumbai already. This condition is likely to

worsen unless immediate and holistically planned mitigation

measures are undertaken

3.5 The Mumbai Noise mapping is the first of it’s kind in India. It is

proposed to be implemented in 3 phases.

a. The Pilot Project: Will cover a period of about 3 months

and will provide initial data.

b. The Detailed Project: Will cover a period of 1 year and

will provide comprehensive data. This should lead to

establishing a Noise Rating Level for different

geographical areas and city as a whole. This should

further guide the concerned government departments

providing statutory environmental clearances to set

targets for containing the ambient noise levels within the

rated levels for the area in which the new activity or

construction is to come up.

c. Implementation of the data and recommendations

arising from the data: Will be carried out by the

Government and by NGOs working on the subject of

Noise control in Mumbai including Awaaz Foundation.

3.6 The Mumbai City Noise Mapping Project will be a prototype which

can be replicated in other cities on India.

4. Project Overview:

Noise mapping, using modern computer based techniques

has already been carried out in a number of European cities.

Of these, the Birmingham Project is the largest and most

comprehensive.

4.1 Sources of existing noise in Mumbai:

a. Recreational noise: Primarily Loudspeakers and firecrackers.

This type of noise occurs periodically and is acute during festival

seasons. Strict regulations regarding recreational noise need to

be enforced and incorporated in the development plan.

b. Traffic Noise: 1. Vehicles especially autorickshaws used without

Silencers, multi-tone and high-pressure horns, 2. high traffic

density roads passing through residential areas, flyovers, Sea

Links etc. 3. Noise from Public transport including buses, trains,

train stations etc

c. Construction Noise: from ongoing road and building

construction activities including from machinery without silencers

d. Noise from institutions such as schools

e. Noise from unregulated or semi-regulated industries such as

marble cutting, aluminum cutting etc.

f. Noise from other machinery such as air conditioners, etc

g. Aircraft Noise

4.2 Before embarking on Mumbai’s noise

mapping project, the following questions

should be addressed:

a. What type of noise mapping should be undertaken in Mumbai?

b. What sources of environmental noise should be mapped?

c. Who should be the stakeholders concerned in the mapping

project?

4.3 It is essential that the mapping study covers the existing sources of

noise listed in 4.2 above as well as the planned infrastructure

projects including the MUTP, MUIP, Metro Rail Link, Transharbour

Sea Link and Western Expressway Sea Link

.

4.4 The Noise mapping should also cover the other sources of noise

such as schools, playgrounds, recreational and cultural activities etc

and their impact on residential and other zones.

4.5 Proposed methodology:

a. Surveys: Extensive surveys are required to be carried out to

determine the scope of the proposed detailed noise-mapping

project. These surveys would form part of the pilot project.

b. Extent: The proposed Noise mapping project would be carried

out within the limits of the MMR.

c. Technology: State of the art technology would be supplied by

our technical consultants, Josts Engineering Limited

(specializing in noise control equipment since in collaboration

with their Danish Principals, Bruel & Kjaer Limited). Bruel &

Kjaer Limited have experience as Technical Consultants in

various European Noise mapping Projects and would act as

technical consultants to Awaaz Foundation in the present

Project. Their detailed profile is enclosed. Detailed profile of

Josts Engineering Company Limited is also enclosed.

d. Time required: 3 months for the Pilot Project. 1 year (for data

collection) + 6 months (for data analysis and recommendations)

for the detailed Project

e. Use of Noise map: In determining existing noise levels, and

recommending measures to reduce noise levels from various

sources including recreational noise and proposed infrastructure

projects.

f. Implementation: By Awaaz Foundation in collaboration with

Josts Engineering Limited, Bruel & Kjaer Limtied, Denmark.

4.6 The main elements of the Mumbai Noise map are identified as:

a. Acquisition of the following data:

1. Noise Source data on:

2. Geographical data on:

planned

etc.

such as garages etc

3. Weather Data

b. Undertake long-term noise measurement for validation and

short-term industrial noise measurements to provide data on

industrial noise.

c. Use data inputs to carry out an initial calculation.

d. Compare the initial maps with noise measurement data obtained

specifically for noise mapping exercise.

e. Modify the calculation if necessary

5. Data and other Information to be provided to Mapping Consultant:

5.1 Road Traffic data

5.2 Rail traffic data

5.3 Air traffic data

5.4 Recreational noise data

5.5 Industrial locations

5.6 Location of Institutions such as schools hospitals etc

5.7 Location of existing infrastructure

5.8 Location of planned infrastructure projects

6. Expected benefits of the noise mapping project:

6.1 The long term benefits of the noise mapping project to the city of

Mumbai will be to:

a. Identify the number of citizens living in areas where

noise levels are continuously unacceptably high and to

produce a long-term strategy to tackle this problem.

b. To identify the number of citizens living in areas where

noise levels are periodically unacceptably high and to

produce a long-term strategy to tackle this problem.

c. To protect and maintain areas in the city defined as

‘Silence Zones’ through development controls.

d. To plan the alignment of proposed infrastructure

projects in such a manner as to cause minimum noise

disturbance to citizens.

e. To identify and implement noise mitigation measures

where noise levels caused by infrastructure projects is

unavoidable.

f. To suggest strategies for reduction of construction

noise.

g. To suggest strategies for reduction of recreational noise.

h. To suggest strategies for MCGM to integrate noise

parameters in building permissions

i. To suggest strategies for Transport Commissioner to

bring down noise levels from road traffic

j. To provide a base to bring down overall noise levels in

the city through a holistically planned strategy for noise

control.

7. Conclusions:

7.1 The benefits of the Noise mapping study would include:

a. Reduction of environmental noise

b. Reduction in adverse health effects to citizens affected by

excessive noise levels

c. Base data regarding existing noise levels to assist formulation

and implementation of strategies to reduce noise during festival

seasons

d. Base data regarding existing noise levels to assist formulation

and implementation of strategies to reduce noise levels from

existing roads, railways, airports etc

e. Base data regarding existing noise levels to assist formulation

and implementation of strategies to reduce noise levels from

planned infrastructure projects

7.2 Noise mapping studies conducted in other cities of the world have

been a success. They are being used towards their stated purpose

and serve as a strategic planning tool, as a noise reduction tool and

for day-to-day decision making on environmental noise matters.

7.3 It is entirely possible and is essential to conduct a study for the city

of Mumbai which will similarly achieve long term goals in noise

reduction before undertaking any new infrastructure project.

8. Organizations involved in the Noise mapping Project:

1. Awaaz Foundation (Profile annexed)

2. Josts’ Engineering Company Limited (Profile

annexed)

3. Bruel & Kjaer Ltd, Denmark (Profile annexed)

9. Implementation and Supporting data from: Government

of Maharashtra

Order)

4. Local NGOs and citizen’s groups