Sound pollution in Ranchi’s silence zone rose 54.22 per cent above the permissible limit on Diwali, an official said on Tuesday. However, if compared to the pre-Diwali level on October 18, a week ahead of the festival, there was a 6.34 per cent increase in noise on Monday, the official stated.
The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) had given a two-hour window – 8 pm to 10 pm -- for bursting firecrackers on Diwali. The board monitored sound pollution levels in four locations of the city -- Jharkhand High Court (silence area), Albert Ekka Chowk (commercial area), Kutchery Chowk (commercial area) and Ashok Nagar (residential area) -- for six hours from 6 pm on Monday.
At Albert Ekka Chowk and Kutchery Chowk, the sound pollution levels were 2.33% and 1.96% higher than pre-Diwali figures respectively, according to the JSPCB data. Similarly, Ashok Nagar recorded a 3.06% rise above the pre-Diwali figures, as per data.
"Ranchi's silence zone recorded 69.4 dB between 6pm and 12 midnight on Diwali against the average permissible limit of 45dB. Ashok Nagar, a residential area, registered 55.46 dB on average during the period. "The commercial areas of Albert Ekka Chowk and Kutchery Chowk recorded 75.33dB and 72.76 db respectively on average," JSPCB analyst Ramanand Anjan said.
Ban on firecrackers that produce noise above 125 decibel (dB) has helped curb sound pollution to an extent in the state capital, Anjan told PTI. "If we compare Diwali and pre-Diwali noise pollution levels, we see that there was no major difference. It seems people are becoming aware of the ill-effects of bursting firecrackers. Ban on sale of firecrackers that emit sound above 125 decibel (dB) may have helped us check noise pollution," Anjan added.
(With PTI inputs)
