Despite steps, city noise pollution levels stay high

LUCKNOW: The area near high court guest house on Lal Bahadur Shastri road has the maximum noise pollution level (68.3 decibels) among residential areas as against the permissible limit of 45 dB and 55 dB during night and day respectively, shows pollution control board’s (PCB) survey.

In commercial areas, the point near Burlington crossing recorded the highest noise pollution – 68.1 dB against the permissible limit 55 dB at night and 65 dB in day time.

On the DM’s directives, PCB officials had collected noise level data from at eight places in Lucknow. PCB officials said after undertaking measures to curb noise pollution, the survey result seemed less satisfactory. “But it’s good when compared to previous figures,” said a PCB official.

The administration removed over 1,200 ‘illegal’ loudspeakers from various places. But it seems that the exercise had “very little effect” on noise pollution graph.

“A lot more has to be done to bring down noise pollution levels. We have constituted 10 teams of administrative officials who will work along with PCB officials to keep a check on noise pollution. We will also be more vigilant to curb use of illegal loudspeakers,” said Lucknow DM, Kaushal Raj Sharma.

Barring the CM’s residence on 5 KD Marg, other residential

pockets did not witness much respite from noise pollution. At the CM’s residence, the noise pollution level was recorded at 52.6 dB, against permissible limit of 45 and 55 dB in night and day time. Near Annexe gate number 1, a commercial area, the noise pollution level was 67.4 dB -- second highest after Burlington crossing. PCB team also found that the noise pollution was high in the silence zone – near Balrampur Hospital (53.5 dB, against permissible limit of 40 and 50 dB during night and day).