Mumbai, Delhi lead cities where noise level exceeds limit Hyderabad named 7th noisiest city

New Delhi, April 10: The average level of noise pollution generally exceeds the permissible limits in seven cities of the country, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai.

The information was made available by environment minister Anil Madhav Dave on Monday in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with its counterparts in every state carries out monitoring of noise pollution in seven metropolitan cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Hyderabad — through a network of 70 noise-monitoring stations under National Ambient Noise Monitoring Programme (NANMP).

“The data from these monitoring stations indicate that average noise pollution levels generally exceed the permissible limits. The data includes noise due to horns of vehicles,” Mr Dave said.

The noise standards for motor vehicles, air conditioners, refrigerators, gensets and certain types of construction equipment are prescribed in the Schedules of the environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, he said.

The minister said pressure horns (sirens and multi-tone horns) are banned except for police van, ambulance and fire brigades under provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Measures taken to reduce noise pollution in metropolitan cities include advisories for noise monitoring on the occasion of Diwali, prohibition of the use of fireworks between 10 pm and 6 am, awareness programme to avoid bursting of firecrackers and issuance of directions under relevant sections of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

— PTI