In residential zones the limits are 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night
Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s commercial areas are noisier than its industrial areas. According to noise pollution standards set by the Central Pollution Control Board, the noise levels in commercial areas should be within 65 decibels from 6 am to 10 am, and within 55 dB between 10 pm and 6 am.
According to the noise pollution records available with the Telangana State Pollution Control Board, the noise levels recorded at Panjagutta, Abids, Paradise and JNTU were at industrial standards, for which the limits are 75 dB in the day and 70 dB at night.
Panjagutta is usually the noisiest of them all, at 80 dB. Interestingly, the noise levels are usually under the maximum limits in the industrial areas of Jeedimetla and Gaddapotharam.
The TSPCB records the monthly average of noise pollution and this phenomenon has been observed from 2014 and is continuing.
So why can’t the PCB officials take steps to control noise pollution? Officials said the board was toothless and said their job was only to monitor pollution, not regulate it.
However, the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 state that the State Pollution Control Boards along with the Central PCB should devise strategies for prevention, control and abatement along with compiling technical and statistical data.
An official said that the onus falls on traffic police too, to take action as noise pollution is mainly due to honking of vehicles.
In residential zones the limits are 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night. However, in Jubilee Hills and Tarnaka residential areas, where noise meters have been installed by the TSPCB, the average noise levels have been recorded at 55dB to 60dB every month, sometimes exceeding even 60dB during the day 50 to 55dB at night.
In silence zones of Hyderabad zoo and Gachibowli, noise levels are beyond maximum limits which are set at 50 dB during the day and 40dB at night.
