Committed citizens like 9 to 12-year-old children from the BDD chawls who measured noise during festivals in 2015, gynaecologist Dr Mahesh Bedekar, who has fought through the courts to control noise levels from festivals which disturbed patients in his maternity home in Thane, Ajay Marathe, who controlled noise from a mosque and a school next to his house, those who controlled noise from a construction site next to their building, give us hope that the trend of lower noise levels in Mumbai will continue and that we can aspire to a noise-free Mumbai in the foreseeable future. While the Christian community was among the first to bring their celebrations in line with the Noise Pollution Rules several years ago by concluding their Christmas Midnight Mass before midnight, noise levels in 2015 during Diwali and Eid-e-Milad were lower in Mumbai than they have been for several years. Awareness campaigns in schools such as those conducted by NGOs Sanskar India Foundation, Akanksha and others and government campaigns in municipal schools have resulted in children educating their parents about the ill effects of noise during Diwali and a marked decrease in the use of firecrackers. Muslim clerics and activists announced their opposition to noise pollution during Eid-e-Milad this year for the first time and urged their community to not use loudspeakers. Dr Yeshwant Oke, Dr PN Rao and Saad Ali were among the first to oppose rising noise levels in the country, even before the Noise Rules were notified. Awaaz Foundation, with professional pro bono contributions from advocates Ishwar Nankani and others, began work on noise pollution in 2002 and has campaigned continuously since then, generating primary data, approaching the courts and creating awareness. Today, noise pollution has been recognised as a civic and health hazard that is taking its toll on all citizens in Mumbai, regardless of their religious, social or other status, and citizens have become increasingly vocal and active against high noise levels; many have taken effective action to control noise in their neighbourhood. Other sources of noise which continue throughout the year contribute to making Mumbai the world’s noisiest city. Traffic and construction are two unregulated noisy events which cause distress to almost everyone. Increase in awareness about noise pollution has resulted in citizens’ action in this field as well. Awaaz Foundation measured the noise from traffic and construction and filed a PIL against noise from these sources in 2007. In 2008, Awaaz conducted the first No Honking Day with the Mumbai Traffic Police, which was replicated in other cities. Other citizens too have taken up this cause. Dileep Nevatia obtained an order from the National Green Tribunal restricting the maximum permissible decibel level of horns. The Pali Hill Residents’ Association and some residents of Andheri have controlled the timing and decibel level of construction in their areas, even in the absence of formal administrative guidelines to control noise. Responding to citizens’ activism and court orders, the government has also recognised the necessity of controlling noise pollution in our cities. In 2010, after Awaaz Foundation led a signature campaign to amend the Noise Pollution Rules to include construction and other forms of noise, the MoEF amended the Rules. Draft Firecracker Rules have been issued by the police, and the Maharashtra government has implemented measures like mandatory noise barriers on new flyovers, announcing a noise-mapping study, conducting awareness programmes in municipal schools and demarcating Silence Zones. The police have set up a (mostly) effective system to address anonymous citizen complaints. This system, while effective most of the year, often fails during peak festival season. To monitor effectiveness of police action, Awaaz has set up a Facebook page called Citizens’ Noise Map. Any citizen can download a free decibel meter to their Android device or iPhone, measure noise levels, complain to the police and post their observations on the page. Along with our decibel readings, citizens’ observations are periodically compiled and sent to the appropriate authorities. Exposure to excessive noise can result in deafness, high blood pressure, heart disease and mental illness. Hearing tests on traffic policemen and children exposed to high noise levels have revealed increased levels of deafness. However, we have hope for the future: due to rapidly increasing public awareness on noise pollution, peak noise levels in Mumbai during certain festivals are reducing every year, government authorities are undertaking noise mapping projects and installing noise barriers. Citizens are volunteering their time towards controlling noise from various sources in their neighbourhoods. I hope to see a dramatic fall in noise pollution from all sources in 2016. When citizens start participating in cleanliness initiatives against various types of pollutants, it becomes possible to control pollution and better our quality of life, moving away from the burden of disease. Initiatives like the Citizens’ Noise Map, PILs against pollution filed by ordinary citizens and other initiatives give us hope. More citizens need to participate in the anti-noise pollution campaign and ensure effective implementation of Noise Pollution Rules to safeguard their own health and well being.
