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Mini Pant Zachariah
Mumbai
M UMBAI NEVER sleeps. And certainly not peacefully. It cannot. The average noise levels in the city are way too high – in the range of 60 - 95 decibels (dB). A loudspeaker can shoot that level to an alarming 110 dB and firecrackers up to an extremely dangerous 145 dB. (The World Health Organisation prescribes 45- 55 dB as the ideal sound level for a city. If the ear is subjected to constant exposure of over 90 dB, it can result in temporary hearing impairment.) If it was the loudspeakers during the Ganesh and the Navratri festivals in September, it will be the Diwali firecrackers this month. Add to that, the ever-present cacophony of the mindless honking of vehicular traffic and large-scale construction all around.
The loudspeaker nuisance appears to be under control now that the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Order of 2000 has made it mandatory for loudspeakers to be switched off at 10 pm.
Ditto for firecrackers during Diwali, says the Bombay High Court in its October 5, 2006 order. However, the state government is yet to issue a no tification banning the sale of firecrackers producing over 125 dB. Since it is too late to issue the notification now (Diwali falls on October 21 this year), the state police plans to ban ‘atom bomb’ firecrackers (of 125-145 dB potency) next week. Soon, Diwali, too, shall pass.
LURKING DANGER But how do Mumbaikars counter the constant vehicular cacophony that often exceeds 60 dB and the noise that often exceeds 80 dB in the proximity of the airport, railway tracks, main roads and traffic junctions?
Worse still, what do they do when multi-storeyed office or residential complexes sprout around them, taking the noise level up to 100 dB? Or if a flat in their building is being renovated; the excruciating sounds of hammers, stonecutters and drilling machines are enough to wreak havoc on the strongest nerves.
Dr Sujata Muranjan, Ear, Nose, Throat department, Bombay Hospital, says: “Any sound over 90 dB is hazardous to the human ear. Prolonged exposure to high intensity sounds can result in a noise-induced hearing loss.” Sometimes, a sudden noise can have the same impact. “For instance, the train blast victims who were exposed to over 150dB, suffered dual damage – a rupture of the ear drum and damage to the cochlea and auditory nerves.” A ruptured eardrum can be mended but auditory nerve damage is irreparable, she says, adding that the possibility of developing nerve damage is greater if you live near a traffic junction.
Dr Dhanesh Manik, associate professor, mechanical engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), explains that since the brain processes audio information from both ears to locate the direction of sounds, a noise-induced hearing loss can result in difficulty in accurately locating the direction of sound, leading to accidents on the road and at the workplace.” Further, noise triggers a stress reaction in the body. This leads to insomnia, which could lead to hypertension and loss of concentration.
The Chief Justice of India R C Lakhotia and Justice Ashok Bhan in a judgement dated July 18, 2005 observed: “Noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people’s health…. Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the body still responds –sometimes with extreme tension, to a strange sound in the night.” Further, they add: “Noise is a type of atmospheric pollution. It is a shadowy public enemy, whose growing menace has increased in the modern age of industrialisation and technological advancement.” KILLER ON THE ROAD Although the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, and the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 specify a penalty of Rs 500 for shrill horns, this violation of the law is extremely common. Architect and activist against noise pollution, Jagdeep Desai complains that action is rarely taken against those using shrieking horns. Interestingly, owners of vehicles often get a road-worthy certificate from the RTO, then replace the original horns with shriller ones.
Sumaira Abdulali, founder of Awaaz Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working against noise pollution, says: “If the authorities put their mind to it, they can implement the rule. Remember, the Pollution Under Control Certificate was also considered impossible once? The problem is that noise pollution is not taken seriously enough.” Abdulali regrets that no study has been conducted to map the noise levels in the city. “It’s like saying we have a development control plan for a city when you do not have a map of the city,” she says. She mentions that the MMRDA proposal for mapping noise in Mumbai has hit a roadblock because the Rs 30 lakh allocated for the purpose is quite inadequate.
However, MMRDA Joint Project Director, Environment, Dr Vikas Tondwalkar says, “Noise mapping of the city will start in two months time and will be completed within nine months. The study will identify transport corridors with high noise generation and suggest mitigation measures. A strategy can then be worked out to find a solution to the noise pollution.” As a part of Mumbai Urban Transport Project, the MMRDA has recognised noise, especially transport noise, as an issue in the environment assessment of projects. Tondwalkar says improved roads and improved public transport can help cut down noise pollution. HIGH-COST CONSTRUCTION The large-scale construction both under way and planned by the MMRDA, coupled with the frenzied realty development in Mumbai, brings us to the other major noise pollutant: construction noise.
Says Dr Manik: “It is so easy to fix this. Several acoustic materials are available to reduce machine noise.” He should know because he has designed a muffler for a 6 megawatt diesel power plant. The noise was reduced by 25 dB. The design was a success and a scaled-down version was later used for a noisy machine in a local Petlad court in Gujarat that was located 4 kms away.
Dr Manik says the noise from a marble-cutting machine can be reduced by using barrier material that prevents noise from escaping an enclosed space. “It can be done for aluminium cutting machines, too. It is not rocket science,” he says.
And for those who think construction noise is a concern only for workers, Dr Manik has alarming news – traffic and construction noise can affect the concentration and listening ability of the 5-10 age group and they can suffer learning disability too. “It is seriously affecting our human resource potential,” he declares.
But who is to see the larger picture?
You Can Win Those who suffered boisterous revelers in silence so far can take solace. Here is a couple that won some peace by using the Right to Information Act. Advocate Raju Moray and his wife Shweta, residents of Hill Road, filed an application under the RTI in early September. They sought to know the provisions used by the local police to give permission to Ganeshotsav Mandal organisers to hold celebrations. “The organisers block the public road and use loudspeakers disturbing the peace of the area. No one complains because people buy 11 months of peace by tolerating one month of noise,” says Moray. A few days later, on the night of September 22, someone in the neighbourhood complained to the police of loud noise and the Navratri revelry was cut short. The revellers assumed it was Moray who had complained and went in a mob to his house. Fortunately, the watchman stopped them at the gate. “They were baying for my blood,” he says. “So I sought police protection the next day.” Because of the police intervention, the revelries were checked, but on the last two days of Navratri celebrations, loudspeakers were used. The decibel recorded at 8.30 pm on September 30 was 95. Says Moray, under section 21 and 22 of the Bombay Police Act 1951, the police can appoint responsible citizens as special police officers to check noise pollution. This has been done in the case of cruelty against animals. There is no dearth of volunteers .
RISING DECIBEL The loudspeakers crossed the prescribed limits during the Ganesh and Navratri processions in the city NAVRATRI September 30 ¦ 90 dB at 8.10 pm at Hill Road, Bandra (W) ¦ 85dB at 9.47 pm at Silver Sand, Andheri (W) ¦ 80dB at 10.36 pm at Danda Village, Carter Road, Bandra (W) October 2, 2006 ¦ 95dB at 8.35 pm at New Kantwadi Rd, Bandra (W) October 3, 2006 ¦ Loudspeakers played all 9 nights near Civic Hospital, Sector 10, Navi Mumbai GANESHOTSAV August 27 ¦ 100 dB Abdul Rehman Streeet 3.45 pm August 31 113 dB Shivaji Park opp ¦ Thakur Hospital 7.30 pm 112 dB Worli Naka 7.37 ¦ pm 113 dB Haji Ali 7.46 pm ¦ 112dB Next to 7.51 pm ¦ Tardeo Police Colony ¦ 105 dB Mahim Causeway 21.03 (dB- Decibel) Source: Awaaz Foundation Sumaira Abdulali CRACKER CAPERS How loud are your favourite fireworks?
124dB Rocket Whistling 112dB 142dB Shell Chhama Chhama 141db Atom Bomb 007 Serial cracker (Ladi) 142db Assorted fountain 95 dB Sweet 16 whistle 129dB SOUND STRATEGY Our fight with noise In 1985, Dr Yashwant Oke files a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the form of a writ petition against the Maharashtra government, Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Mumbai police to protect people’s health from noise pollution. “Twenty years ago, noise was only considered a nuisance,” recalls Dr Oke. “I am happy it is considered a pollution now.” Noise was notified as a pollutant under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, inviting a fine of Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment for five years or both. The Ministry of Environment and Forests formulated rules on noise pollution in 1989. The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000, formulated by the Central Government, specifies ambient air quality standards in respect of noise during the day (6 am to 10 pm) and night as follows: Industrial area: 75dB and 70 dB; Commercial area: 65 dB and 55 dB, Residential area: 55 dB and 45 dB; Silence Zone: 50dB and 40 dB. An Amendment to the Act in October 2002 allows the state government to extend permission for the use of loudspeakers from 10 pm to midnight for 15 days in a year. Sumaira Abdulali and the Bombay Environment Action Group challenged the amendment in August 2003. The Bombay High Court orders no permission for loudspeakers in silence zones. In 2005, the Supreme Court upholds the amendment of 2002 but notes that the extension does not hold true for firecrackers, horns or any noise other than loudspeakers. On October 5, 2006, the Bombay High Court reiterates that the time extension does not hold for firecrackers even during Diwali. Orders firecracker distributors to be made a party in pending PIL (next hearing on October 13) to determine the legality (in terms of noise levels) of firecrackers being distributed in Mumbai.
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