Rajasthan: As places become too loud, district collectors told to take proper action

JAIPUR: Loud noises at public places breached prescribed limits set by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in more than 95% places, sans industrial zones, across the state from January 1 to November 2022.

In this regard, the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) issued letters to all district collectors on Monday to take necessary action in the matter, which may have ‘deleterious effects on human health and the psychological wellbeing of the people’. They have also been asked to implement a scale of compensation for violation of Noise Rules, 2000.
Rampant industrial and construction activity, wide-spread use of generator sets, loud-speakers, public address systems, music systems and vehicular honking has contributed immensely to breaching of prescribed standard. Since the noise levels are being monitored, data obtained from RSPCB, says prescribed standards specially in most of the commercial, residential and silence zones, have been crossed.
In October, in all the eight locations including two silence zones, two residential zones, two commercial zones and two industrial zones, noise level was recorded beyond the prescribed limit. Similarly, in February, April, June, August, noise levels in all the eight zones crossed prescribed limits- irrespective of day and night.
Not only in Jaipur, but also across the state, the situation of noise pollution is almost the same. In Jhalawar, Baran, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Tonk, Kota, Udaipur, all zones except industrial, have breached prescribed standards in 2022 from January to November.
“Noise pollution is a serious threat in modern living as it seriously compromises the quality of human life. It is high time that the prescribed noise standards get adhered to,” said Naveen Mahajan, chairperson, RSPCB, while pointing out that all the collectors have been asked to keep noise pollution as a regular agenda in the district environment committee chaired by them.
“It is considered necessary to regulate and control noise producing and generating sources with the objective of maintaining the ambient air quality standards in respect of noise,” stated the letter written by RSPCB to all collectors.
The district collectors have been instructed to organise meetings of the district environment committee regularly and take appropriate action for keeping the noise levels within the prescribed standards.