Shrill vehicle horn? Now, police can penalize youTNN | Feb 21, 2017, 06.26 AM IST
(Representative image)
MUMBAI: To curb noise pollution in cities, the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB) has directed traffic police in nine cities--including Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai--to fine vehicle owners who use power, pressure and musical horns and confiscate them. While city activists welcomed the move, they said the watchdog should also have chalked out an action plan against other sources of noise pollution.

Adirective by the CPCB states that authorities shall ensure that drivers not sound the horn needlessly and not fit or use any horns that give a harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise.

Other cities to which this applies include Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Lucknow.

The CPCB has said: "No vehicle shall be permitted to have a musical horn. All vehicles, buses, trucks and cars shall not be fitted with power, pressure or musical horns. Such vehicles shall be challaned and such horns shall be got removed by enforcement officer."

However, anti-noise crusaders feel that the CPCB should have created an action plan for other sources like construction activity too. "The action is suggested, assuming that vehicles are the source of noise pollution but there is no mention of confiscating crackers or construction machinery which is also a great source of noise pollution," said Sumaira Abdulali, convener of the Awaaz Foundation, an NGO.

CPCB has directed that a control room be set up for public grievances.

Time to bring down the din: CPCB
The CPCB also reiterated that noise pollution sources such as public address systems, marriage functions and diesel generator sets should be monitored and regulated (File Photo)
DNA CORRESPONDENT | Mon, 20 Feb 2017-07:50am , New Delhi , DNA
Pollution watchdog directs nine metros, including Delhi and Mumbai, to act against vehicular noise and set up control rooms 
Soon, traffic police across nine cities will begin to fine motorists using pressure horns and confiscate these devices. Following assessment of the worrying levels of noise pollution across the cities, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued this direction among a host of others to bring down the din.
CPCB, the country’s pollution watchdog, has issued these directions under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to pollution control boards and traffic police force in Delhi, Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Lucknow.
There are 70 real-time monitoring stations across these nine cities and based on consolidated data from them, CPCB found that in all cities noise levels are breached over 90 per cent of the times.
In the assessment report, Chennai was found to be the noisiest city followed by Hyderabad and Mumbai, based on the high rate of noise limit violations across locations.
The CPCB has said that no vehicles should be allowed to use power, pressure and musical horns. Violators have to be fined and the horns have to be confiscated by enforcement authorities.
Further, the watchdog has also directed that control rooms should be established to resolve noise related public grievances. The assessment revealed that residential areas are as noisy and at some locations more than the industrial areas. Thus, small industrial activity breaching noise levels in residential areas will face action.
CPCB officials said the new directions have been issued looking at the unsatisfactory implementation of noise standards and the large contribution of vehicles in noise pollution. “The directions have to be implemented by state boards and the traffic police,” said a senior CPCB official.
The CPCB also reiterated that noise pollution sources such as public address systems, marriage functions and diesel generator sets should be monitored. There should be no noise after the 10pm deadline, as is imposed by the SC.
Anti-noise activists welcomed the plan to fine pollution emanating from horns but added that with more data available, urban planning should happen with noise levels in mind. “Authorities need to chalk out a larger plan to curb noise from all festivals, construction activity,” said Sumaira Abdulali, convenor, Awaaz Foundation, an anti-noise advocacy group.

TAGS

• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
• Awaaz Foundation
• vehicular noise
• Traffic Police
• Horns
• Environment Protection Act (EPA)
• Sumaira Abdulali

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MMRDA wants metro work to go on after 10pmManthank Mehta| TNN | Updated: Feb 13, 2017, 11.55 PM IST
Currently, civil work for the metro corridor is only permitted between 5am and 10pm, allowing for seven hours ... Read More
MUMBAI: Citing "already high" decibel levels on arterial roads, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has sought that noise pollution rules be relaxed to extend metro work hours for faster completion of the project.

Currently, civil work for the metro corridor is only permitted between 5am and 10pm, allowing for seven hours of respite.

Praveen Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, "We are going to seek changes in noise pollution rules. The relaxation will not make much of a difference in the noise level as the decibel levels are already quite high in areas alongside arterial roads because of heavy traffic."

Darade added that though work can begin at 5am, labourers are unwilling to start that early. As of now, contractors try to carry out work late at night but are prevented by patrolling police. "If the work is completed quickly, traffic mess will wind up earlier than expected," he said.

Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation said, "This position is contrary to what the state has told the high court. It has, in fact, assured the court of coming up with guidelines for construction work to reduce hardship caused by high noise levels. We have measured the decibel levels at construction sites, where they exceed 85dB. Even when is construction is not on, the noise level can be breached because of loading and unloading work itself."

Meanwhile, some residents are not averse to relaxation in noise rules.

Goregaon resident Ajay Naik said, "The faster the work gets completed, the better it will be for us as air pollution level are dangerously high because of traffic snarls as the road width has been narrowed considerably for metro work."