May 25: Calcutta, once the country's model city for noise control because of landmark verdicts by Justice Bhagwati Prasad Banerjee in the late Nineties, is now a top offender.
Central Pollution Control Board data generated by eight automatic noise measurement stations in the city from April 10 to 16 found that the city's noise levels had crossed nationally permissible limits at all the stations, both during the day and at night. The only exception: the one at the state pollution control board office in Salt Lake at daytime. Metro has access to the reports.
Whether because of habitual honking or menacing microphones or bursting of crackers, the city is always an assault on the ears. A state pollution control board study a few years ago found that during peak hours a honk was heard every three seconds. The situation is worse now.
"Be it honking on the road, particularly in silence zones, or playing of microphones at odd hours without permission, nobody cares to follow rules," said Gitanath Ganguly, advocate and the high court-appointed former special officer for noise control in the state.
Metro draws up a decibel graph of the city.
Beyond limit
The city's noise levels have not only broken the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, but also crossed national limits, which allow a noise level twice that of WHO. The city's noise level hovers around 85 decibel, both during the day and and at night. Even from late night to early morning, (11pm to 4am), the average noise level in the city crosses 60 decibel. The day and night national limits, are 50 and 40 decibel in silence zones, 55 and 45 decibel in residential areas and 65 and 55 decibel in commercial areas.
No silent night
The average ambient noise is high in all areas and the nights are almost as noisy as the days. The night average was 65.1 decibel, just a little less than the day average of 67.8 decibel. "Honking is to blame for the high noise level at night, apart from late-night soirees in the open, often organised violating all norms," Ganguly said.
Where is it noisiest?
The New Market area was found to be the noisiest point in city with the day average measuring 76.8 decibel and night average 75.9 decibel. Among residential areas, Bagbazar recorded the highest daytime and night noise levels of 73.4 and 71.1 decibel. Experts say that an increase of 10 decibel means double the pressure on eardrums.
Silence zones? Nah
Silence zones - an area within a 100m radius of hospitals and educational institutes - are not silent at all. In Calcutta, automatic noise is monitored in two silence zones - near SSKM and RG Kar hospitals. In both places, daytime noise was found to be in the range of 65 decibel or just above, while the average night time noise was around 63 decibel. Some days, noise levels both during the day and at night even crossed 75 decibel. The noise level late in the night and in the early morning, too, were beyond the permissible limit.
"We have found that hospitals are hit the hardest on Kali Puja and Diwali with the noise level touching about 100 decibel even near ICUs," said Naba Dutta, secretary of green platform Sabuj Mancha, which recently held a campaign against noise in the city.
Industry allowance
The average noise in Taratala- Behala and Kasba-Golpark were found to be within the national limit because both have been designated as "industrial areas", which have a much higher noise limit. But compared with other residential areas - and both areas have considerable residential pockets - the noise level is very high. "The Kasba area has several hospitals near industrial zones where the noise station is placed," a senior state pollution control board official pointed out.
Ear ear!
The noise is costing us dear, said Dulal Bose, ENT specialist and former sheriff of Calcutta. "Noise is a silent killer. I can say that instances of noise-pollution-triggered hearing problems have seen a four-fold increase in the past few decades," Bose said.
"Apart from hearing impairment, a high level of noise pollution can trigger a range of diseases, from hypertension to ischaemic heart disease, as well as psychological disturbances," said Arunava Majumdar, a public health expert and professor of Jadavpur University.
Biswajit Mukherjee, the retired chief law officer of the state pollution control board and former noise control officer appointed by the high court, said it was the responsibility of police and the pollution control board to keep noise within limits.
