Air turned ‘severe’, but at DLF-2, noise levels moderated

Gurgaon: Though post-Diwali air quality in the city plummeted to its worst in six years this time, noise pollution saw a reduction this Diwali in the residential area that was sampled.
According to data from two monitoring stations installed by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), DLF-2 (residential area) saw a 5.5% dip in decibel levels this Diwali, while at Sohna Road (commercial area), noise levels were almost on a par with the festival day last year.
The two stations measured noise in decibels (A-weighted), the relative loudness of sounds in air as perceived by the human ear. This Diwali, the peak noise level was 65.3db(A) at the DLF-2 station. The average was 64.2dB(A), the lowest in four years. The average level was 71dB(A) on Diwali in 2018, 70dB(A) in 2019 and 68dB(A) last year.
At the Sohna Road station, the peak was 81dB(A) this Diwali, while the average noise level was 70.1dB(A), a slight rise from last year’s 70dB(A). It was 71dB(A) on Diwali in 2018 and 69dB(A) in 2019. Noise pollution levels recorded over a six-hour period this Diwali were between 61dB(A) and 65.3 dB(A) in DLF-2 and between 68dB(A) and 81dB(A) at Sohna Road.
“Though Diwali witnessed a spike in air pollution, there was less traffic volume on Sohna Road and crackers with low intensity were burst at DLF-2, resulting in a decline in noise levels,” said Ram Niwas, an HSPCB scientist.
This year, like last year, HSPCB had installed noise meters at two locations. In comparison, the pollution control board had installed meters at four locations — DLF-2, Sohna Road, IMT Manesar and bus stand — in 2019 and 2018.
The CPCB standard guidelines for noise pollution, which were notified in 2000, recommend not more than 55dB noise in residential areas, 65dB in commercial areas and 75dB in industrial areas during the daytime. At night, the corresponding upper limits are 45dB, 55dB and 70dB.
Need for more noise
monitoring stations
With just two areas monitored for noise pollution on Diwali, the data isn’t indicative for the entire city, according to experts.
They suggested that several locations should be chosen for installing meters. “Ideally, more locations should be covered to study noise fluctuations before and on Diwali in the city,” said Sachin Panwar, an expert on air and noise pollution.
“Simply putting a noise meter in an area at random won’t serve the purpose. The authorities should get in touch with RWAs across the city, and through them, educate residents about the impact of noise pollution. Moreover, Old Gurgaon and new areas in the city are not being represented in the current data. The monitoring stations are only at two locations, which isn’t giving a fair view of the situation,” Panwar added.
A senior HSPCB official said they plan to set up a continuous, real-time noise measuring system with digital display boards and a centralised network at four locations. “We have a plan for installing permanent noise monitoring stations in Gurgaon soon. They will monitor noise levels continuously round the clock,” the official said, adding that HSPCB already has a network of air quality monitoring stations and is likely to install the noise monitoring stations in the same locations — Vikas Sadan, Teri Gram, Gwalpahari and Sector 51.
Residents in areas like sectors 50, 57, 89, 90 and 92 that TOI spoke to said crackers hadn’t seemed muted in their neighbourhoods on Diwali evening. “Bursting of crackers started at 7pm on Diwali and continued till 11pm. We couldn’t sleep and my husband faced breathing difficulties due to pollution,” said Rekha Aggarwal, a resident of Sector 57. “There are no civic bodies to monitor newly-developed sectors. A few residents went on bursting crackers all night,” said Punit Kaushal, resident of Sector 89.
In areas like DLF-2, MG Road and Sushant Lok, on the other hand, residents said instances of loud crackers going off were isolated ones. “I could hear faint sounds of crackers. Nothing very noisy,” said Tanvi Nayak, a resident of DLF-2.