Noise Pollution
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CHAPTER IV NOISE POLLUTION oise is among the most pervasive that sound limiters are available at Webel pollutants today. Noise negatively affects Mediatronics Ltd., P-1 Taratolla Road, human health and its wellbeing. Kolkata 700 088. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, N 2. In order to provide a quiet environment stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction for students during exams, the Board and lost productivity, and a general reduction has imposed restrictions on noise pollution in the quality of life and opportunities for during the Secondary/Higher Secondary tranquillity. The West Bengal Pollution Control examination period. The WBPCB, on Board has taken several measures to combat January 17, 2005, has directed all noise pollution. A brief description of the current concerned (including District Magistrates, aspects of noise pollution and the corresponding Superintendents of Police, Deputy actions taken by the Board to combat the same Commissioners of Police, Kolkata) to are given below. refrain from issuing permission for use Steps taken to control noise from of microphones/loudspeakers for open- air functions before three days of the loudspeakers commencement of these examinations The use of loudspeakers is regulated in terms until they get over. Use of sound boxes/ of the Rules under the Environment Protection amplifiers were not allowed within 100 Act (1986) as well as the orders of the Supreme metres of the examination centres. Court and the Calcutta High Court. The Police Department is empowered to enforce these Noise generated from the Diesel rules and orders. The specific steps adopted Generator sets by the Board to restrict noise pollution produced The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), from loud speakers are: Government of India published the Standards/ 1. The WBPCB has made it mandatory to Guidelines for control of noise pollution from use loudspeakers only when amplifier(s) stationary Diesel generator sets vide GSR 7 are attached to sound limiter (s). Time dated 22.12.1998. Subsequently, the MoEF and again, it is brought to public notice notified the Noise limits for Generator sets run ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005 69 PART II l CHAPTER IV with petrol or kerosene vide GSR 742 (E) dated l To bring to public notice that sound 25.09.2000 and GSR 628 (E) dated 30.08.2001. limiters are available at Webel Following the provisions of these notifications, Mediatronics Ltd. the Board directed that for use of diesel generator set (s) (of capacity 15 KVA & above) for non- industrial purpose, the obtainment of Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from the Board is mandatory. The non-industrial purpose includes residential buildings, commercial buildings, office complex, cinema halls, bank, educational institutions etc under its purview. The order is effective from January 1, 2002. According to another landmark notification Noise level restrictions during festive of the MoEF, all diesel generator sets with up occasions to 1000 KVA capacity and manufactured on or Festive occasions demand special vigilance after July 1, 2003 should be provided with over noise pollution. The Government of India integral acoustic enclosure at the manufacturing has enacted noise standards for fire-crackers stage itself. It further states that all other DG sets should be controlled by providing an acoustic vide G.S.R.682 (E), dated October 5, 1999, in enclosure individually or by treating the room an effort to control noise pollution due to fire acoustically at the users end. crackers The WBPCB, like other State Pollution Control Boards, have initiated steps to control WBPCB activities to combat noise sale of fire-crackers exceeding the notified limits, pollution in consultation with their respective local As evident, legal instruments to combat noise administrations. pollution are many. However, the need to The Board conducted special vigilance during popularise these legal directions in order to festivals such as the Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali, facilitate its enforcement is also important. With Jagaddhatri Puja and New Years Eve. Bursting this view, the Board has initiated a drive to of crackers is a major nuisance during this time restrict noise pollution in the state. As part of of the year. To check the level of pollution its campaign strategy, the Board has brought produced from firecrackers, the Board has banned into notice some important messages that are of interest to the general public: the use or sale of noisy fireworks (such as Chocolate Bomb, Chain Crackers (Kali Patka), l To avoid honking around educational Loose Crackers, Kali Patka, Dhani Patka, Dodoma, institutions, hospitals and courts; Seven Shots, Rocket Bombs etc) that generate l To shun use of loudspeakers after 10 noise more than 90 dB (AI) at a distance of 5 at night and before 6 in the morning; metres from the point of bursting. l To follow the legal ban on the use and Moreover, to have a clear idea about the sale of air horns; increase of ambient noise level in residential l To maintain tranquillity in the forest areas areas in the city of Kolkata and other district by not using microphones or town during festivals, the Board undertook a loudspeakers in Sundarbans or other forest noise monitoring survey. Monitoring teams areas of West Bengal; surveyed the streets and crowded spots for l To use loudspeakers only when monitoring the noise level. Also, in order to aid amplifier(s) are attached to sound the general public, a Central Control Room located limiter(s); and 70 ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005 NOISE POLLUTION at the head office and other control rooms located in various residential areas in the city of Kolkata at the Regional Offices (at Haldia, Hooghly, and Howrah on the Kali Puja/ Deepavali day Barrackpore, Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri) in comparison to any normal day. The main remained operational from afternoon to midnight cause of increase in ambient noise level on on all festive days. All complaints received at festival days is bursting of crackers, whereas the control rooms of the Board were immediately in normal days, the main contributions to the communicated to the Police authorities for taking ambient noise level of any residential area are necessary action. from trade activities, transport system and various domestic activities. The main observations are Report of assessment of Noise Pollution survey in Kolkata during summarised below. Kali Puja Festival in 2004 i. The increase of the noise level at the selected locations on the day of Kali Noise Pollution Survey procedure Puja compared to a normal day in 2004 Fire crackers generate instantaneous impulsive varies from 4 to 14 per cent. This is noise, which when measured in free field higher compared to the noise level of condition in impulsive mode, gives peak sound 2003, but much lower in some locations pressure level. It is quite obvious that a number compared to 2002. of crackers when bursting serially can easily form a band of continuous noise in the presence ii. Compared to 2003, there is an increase of reflecting surfaces. The reverberation of sound in the noise level in 50 per cent of the wave due to repeated reflection in the surfaces sample locations, which varied from 5 prolongs the time interval of prevailing sound to 10 per cent (at the locations in northern intensity. The continuous band of noise, thus parts of Kolkata), where as in the formed, definitely affects the ambient level in remaining sample locations, there was close proximity. reduction of noise level varying from 2 to 11 per cent (in the southern part of The monitoring was conducted at eleven the city). The increase of noise level in selected locations such as Salt Lake, Lake Town, Howrah during 2004 as compared to Kankurgachi, Beliaghta, Behala, Minto Park, 2003 was observed to be 3 per cent Burrabazar, Jadavpur, Rabindra Sarani, Talapark and Howrah Maidan, on a normal working day, only. between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The iii. A more or less similar trend as indi- microphone of the Sound Level Meter fitted cated at (ii) is observed during 2004 with windscreen was placed 1.5m above the when compared to the 2002 data. ground, and at least 1m from the façade of the Awareness campaign and specific building at each location. Data recorded at each measures location were used to compute the one-hour equivalent continuous noise level Leq. At the The WBPCB has given wide publicity to same locations, the above procedure was the Supreme Courts direction on the use of repeated on the Kali puja day (11.11.04). fireworks only between 6.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. through Electronic and Print Media. In Results of noise pollution survey addition, requests were made to the cellular The noise survey results in 2004 reveal operators for sending an awareness message moderate increase in the ambient noise level Say NO to CRACKERS: Celebrate Deepavali ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005 71 PART II l CHAPTER IV TABLE 2.4.1 COMPARISON OF NOISE LEVEL IN A NORMAL DAY WITH KALIPUJA DAY Location Noise Level in dBLAeq 2002 2003 2004 Normal Kali Percen- Normal Kali Percen- Normal Kali Percen- Day Puja tage Day Puja tage Day Puja tage (before Day increase (before Day increase (before Day increase Kali Kali Kali puja) puja) puja) Salt Lake- 65 70 7 65 67 3 67 74 10 Sector-III Lake Town- 67 75 11 69 72 4 69 79 14 B Block Kankurgachi- 68 74 8 67 71 5 67 75 12 Scheme VIIIM Beliaghata CIT 67 78 13 70 75 7 73 79 8 Building Behala- Biren 68 80 17 73 78 6 70 74 6 Roy Road Minto Park- 74 85 14 77 82 6 70 73 4 Sarat Bose Road Kalakar Street- 73 76 4 74 75 1 76 79 4 Burrabazer Jadavpur 8B 71 79 11 72 74 2 67 70 4 Bus Terminus Rabindra Sarani- 72 81 12 74 77 4 69 75 9 Ganesh Takie Talapark- 67 76 13 68 72 5 65 70 8 Belgachia Howrah Maidan 7 3 7 8 6 7 4 7 6 2 7 4 7 8 5 TABLE 2.4.2 COMPARISON OF NOISE LEVEL IN KALIPUJA DAY DURING 2003 & 2004 Location Noise Level in dBLAeq 2003 2004 Percentage Increase Salt Lake- Sector-III 67 74 10 Lake Town- B Block 72 79 10 Kankurgachi-Scheme VIIIM 71 75 6 Beliaghata CIT Building 75 79 5 Behala- Biren Roy Road 78 74 5 72 ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005 NOISE POLLUTION TABLE 2.4.2 Contd....