NOISE POLLUTION CONTROL The West Bengal Pollution Control Board but also frighten animals and birds literally to (WBPCB), over the years, has taken various death, various restrictions of the Board are in steps to restrict sound levels in West Bengal, place. For instance, in order to restrict the level especially during the festive occasions. With of noise generated to its permissible limits, the the view that higher decibels of noise can not Board has made it mandatory to use only damage human hearing (especially loudspeakers only when amplifier(s) are affecting the children, the ailing and the aged) attached to sound limiter(s). 5Noise Level Monitoring during Festive Occasions The use of loudspeakers is regulated in terms of bursting (such as Chocolate Bomb, Chain of the Rules under the Environment Crackers (Kali Patka), Loose Crackers, Kali Protection Act (1986) as well as the orders of Patka, Dhani Patka, Dodoma, Seven Shots, the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Rocket Bombs etc). Court. The Police Department is empowered to enforce these rules and the orders. While Moreover, to have a clear idea about the the legal restrictions are observed by and large, increase of ambient noise level in residential special vigilance becomes necessary during areas in the city of Kolkata and other district festivals such as Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Diwali, towns during festivals, the Board undertook a Jagadhhatri Puja and New Years Eve. In noise monitoring survey during the festive addition, the bursting of crackers is a major days in 2003. For effective monitoring of noise nuisance during this time of the year. The pollution on all the festival days, a Central Board has banned the use or sale of noisy Control Room located at the head office and fireworks that generate noise more than 90 other control rooms located at the Regional dB(AI) at a distance of 5 metres from the point Offices (at Haldia, Hooghly, Barrackpore, Annual Report 2003-2004 61 Part II Chapter 5 Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri) remained All complaints received at the control rooms operational from afternoon to midnight. of the Board were immediately communicated Monitoring teams surveyed the streets and to the Police authorities for taking necessary crowded spots for monitoring the noise level. action. Complaints received during the festive season in 2003 The Board received 63 complaints during the which are tabulated below. four days of Durga Puja in 2003, the details of TABLE: 2.5.1 DETAILS OF THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED DURING DURGA PUJA 2003 Durga Puja Name of the Police Stations No. of Days Complaints Sashthi, Jadavpur, Kasba, Lake Town, Thakurpukur, Belghoria, Bidhannagar- 15 01.10.2003 East, Entally and Lake Saptami, Baranagar, Bidhannagar-South, Behala, Uluberia, Madhyamgram, Purva 20 02.10.2003 Jadavpur, Jorasanko, Beliaghata and Muchipara Ashtami, Dum Dum, Kasba, Sonarpur, Bagnan, Baruipur, Nimta, Titagarh, 20 03.10.2003 Bhawanipur and Taratala Nabami, Barasat, Dum Dum, Nimta, Jora Bagan, Burtola 8 04.10.2003 63 Total Like every year, the Board monitored noise compared to 59 complaints received in 2002. level on the days of Kali Puja and Diwali in The nature of complaints received in 2003 2003. The Board received 60 complaints (40 during Kali Puja / Diwali is tabulated below. on the day of Kali Puja and 20 on Diwali) as TABLE: 2.5.2 DETAILS OF THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED DURING KALI PUJA / DIWALI IN 2003 Festive Days Kolkata Police West Bengal Police area Complaints Complaints in 2003 area against against bursting of playing of crackers loudspeakers Kali Puja Day 13 (Chitpur, 27 (Jadavpur, Baruipur, 33 (38)* 07 (05)* (24.10.03) Cossipur, Sonarpur, Lake Town, Ballygunge etc) Chandannagore, Behala, Dum Dum, Bidhannagore etc) Diwali Day 07 (Bhawanipur, 13 ( Kasba, Lake Town, 14 (11)* 06 (05)* (25.10.03) Taltala, Entally, Rajarhat, Bidhannarore, Girish Park, Sibpur, Titagarh, Bandel etc) Shyampukur, Kalighat etc) * Figure in the bracket for the year 2002 62 Annual Report 2003-2004 Noise Pollution Control The violators of noise pollution norms were police departments showed that 254 arrests called for a hearing at Paribesh Bhawan, Salt were made in districts and 106 in Kolkata Lake and necessary action were taken after the Police areas on the Kali Puja day i.e. on hearing. The information received from the 24.10.03. TABLE: 2.5.3 DISTRICT WISE INFORMATION OF SEIZURE AND ARREST AGAINST THE USE, SALE AND STORAGE OF BANNED CRACKERS RECEIVED FROM WEST BENGAL POLICE AND KOLKATA POLICE AUTHORITIES ON 24.10.2003 Name of Districts Seizure Arrest South 24 Parganas 5,815 Pcs Crackers & 25 Kgs Baji Masala 169 North 24 Parganas 17 packets Crackers 33 Nadia Nil Nil Howrah 201 Kgs. Fire Works 35 Murshidabad 50 Packets Crackers Nil Hooghly 48 Kgs Fire Works 9 Burdwan Nil Nil Birbhum Nil Nil Bankura Nil Nil Purulia Nil Nil Purba Midnapore Nil Nil Pashchim Midnapore 20 Kgs Fire Works 4 Malda 144 Pkts Chocolate Bomb/1000 Pcs 4 Crackers/ 17 Pkts Rocket Bombs/ 25 Pkts Burima Chocolate Bomb/ 2 Pkts Hawai Fireworks Jalpaiguri Nil Nil Coochbehar 12 Packets Crackers and Fire Works worth Nil Rs. 30,000/- Darjeeling Nil Uttar Dianjpur Nil Nil Dakshin Dinajpur Nil Nil TOTAL :- 6815 Pcs Crackers, 223 Pkts Crackers, 294 254 Kgs Fire Works and Fire Works worth Rs. 30000/- Kolkata 617.5 kgs 106 Noise Measurement Procedure Firecrackers generate instantaneous impulsive form a band of continuous noise in the noise, which when measured in free field presence of reflecting surfaces. The condition in impulsive mode, gives peak sound reverberation of sound wave due to repeated pressure level. It is quite obvious that a number reflection in the surfaces prolongs the time of crackers when bursting serially can easily interval of prevailing sound intensity. The Annual Report 2003-2004 63 Part II Chapter 5 continuous band of noise, thus formed, was placed 1.5 m above the ground, and at definitely affects the ambient level in close least 1m from the facade of the building at proximity. each location. Data recorded at each location were used to compute the one-hour equivalent The monitoring was conducted at selected continuous noise level Leq. On the same locations on a normal working day, between locations, the above procedure was repeated 6.00 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. The microphone of on the Kali Puja day (25.10.03). the Sound Level Meter fitted with windscreen Noise Monitoring Results obtained during the festive season in 2003 The noise survey results in 2003 reveal a slight locations on the Kali puja day compared increase of ambient noise level in various to a normal day in 2003 varies from 1 per residential areas in the city of Kolkata and cent to 7 per cent. This is much lower Howrah on Kali Puja and Deepavali day in compared to the figure during 2001 and comparison to any normal day. The main cause 2002. of increase in ambient noise level on festival days is bursting of crackers, whereas in normal ii. Compared to last year (2002), there is a days, the main contributions to the ambient reduction in the noise level at the selected noise level of any residential area are from trade locations, varying from 1 per cent to 6 activities, the transport system and various per cent. domestic activities. The main observations are summarised as follows: iii. The reduction of noise level at the selected locations in 2003 varies from ()3 to +23 i. The increase of noise level at select per cent, compared to the 2001 data. FIGURE: 2.5.1 COMPARISION OF NOISE LEVELS ON THE DAY OF KALI PUJA DURING THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS The comparison of the noise levels monitored consecutive years (i.e. 2001 to 2003) is given in on the day of Kali Puja during three Annexure VIII. Measures taken for generating awareness on noise pollution Following the Supreme Courts direction, the of fireworks during the festive season between WBPCB has given a wide publicity on the use 6.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. through the electronic 64 Annual Report 2003-2004 Noise Pollution Control and print media. In addition, as per the request awareness message Say NO to CRACKERS: by the WBPCB, Cellular operators namely Celebrate Deepavali with lamps, candles and Bharati Cellular and Reliance Next Link sent fireworks to their customers. Training Programmes on noise pollution organised by the WBPCB For effective control of noise pollution, the Participants attending the training Board has conducted different training programmes included the officials of the West programmes on noise pollution monitoring Bengal Police, Kolkata Police and Motor and control techniques in the year 2003-2004. Vehicles Inspectors. TABLE: 2.5.4 TRAINING / AWARENESS PROGRAMME ON NOISE POLLUTION Sl No. Date No of Participants Participants 1. 04.07.03 to 05.07.03 21 Kolkata Police Personnel 2. 18.07.03 to 19.07.03 24 West Bengal Police Personnel 3. 08.08.03 to 09.08.03 28 Kolkata Police Personnel 4. 22.08.03 to 23.08.03 21 West Bengal Police Personnel 5. 05.09.03 to 06.09.03 29 Motor Vehicles Inspectors & Kolkata Police 6. 01.08.03 to 02.08.03* 12 Post graduate students of Department of Environment Science, Ashutosh College *Training on air-water-noise pollution monitoring & control Annual Report 2003-2004 65.