Noisy Mumbai- Noisy Mumbai rings alarm bells, Santa Cruz loudest at 120dB

 From - dailybhasker 

If you thought Mumbai was noisy only during Diwali think again. The city's residents are victims of a deafening cacophony round the year if a four-year survey that ended in March 2011 is to be believed.

The survey says noise levels are always above the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) prescribed limits. Dr Ambika Joshi, Sangeeta Parab, Udhav Zarekar and Payal Rane, researchers from Jai Hind College, did a noise mapping of the city. The survey, funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), found even the lowest noise level on a working day is beyond the permissible limit. In fact, during festivals, the levels just go up further.

In 2007, the researchers started mapping the noise levels in various parts of the city on all working days from morning to evening cutting across seasons. At least 24 readings were taken at every spot spread over three years. "Once the survey was over, the average value left us shocked," Rane said.

The survey found Santa Cruz to be the noisiest where the level often reaches to 120 decibels, thanks to the airport. Lower Parel, which was once a hub of mills and is now a commercial hot spot, is the runner up with noise levels reaching 104 decibels at the highest and 68.8 decibels at the lowest. Even the lowest level is above the permissible maximum limit of 65 decibels in commercial areas.

The city fails to stay within the MPCB prescribed limit of 55 decibels during day and 45 decibels at night in residential areas. And this, at a time when there are no festivals like Dandiya, Ganpati or Diwali.

Grant Road, Haji Ali, SV Road in Vile Parle, Turner Road in Bandra and the Mahalaxmi area all roar above 94 decibels. Even hospital areas - Suchak Hospital in Malad, Sanjeevani Hospital in Andheri and Saifee Hospital at Charni Road — have noise levels peaking up to 90 decibels. The researchers were dismayed to find the levels above the prescribed limit even on April 7 — No Honking Day.

Dr Ambika Joshi, principal investigator and head of Jai Hind's biotechnology department, said people do not realise that noise pollution brings a host of health problems. "It leads to hypertension, hearing loss, insomnia and mental disorders," Joshi said. "Of the 1,600 people surveyed, 50% did not even know that noise is a pollutant."

The BMC has marked silence zones throughout the city. "But the zones are only symbolic now," she said. "I stay near Podar School in Santa Cruz. There is constant noise because of construction work going on in the area for the past couple of years. Mornings have ceased to be calm and nights are no longer soothing because of honking and construction work. "

Prasoon Burman, 45, recently underwent a cardiac surgery. "I could hear the loud noise even in my AC ward. And now that I have been discharged and at home, there is no respite," Burman said. "I cannot sleep properly because of the ongoing flooring work in a nearby building. The time has come for the BMC to install sound absorbers in the city."

Dr Indrani Gupta, a scientist with the National Environmental Engineering Institute, termed the survey results alarming. "If the noise levels are so high on normal days, I shudder to think what it might be during Diwali." The survey should act like a wake-up call and everyone should do their bit to bring down noise levels, Gupta said.