New Delhi: Chennai is among seven other cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, where average level of noise pollution generally exceeds the permissible limits.
The information was made available by environment minister Anil Madhav Dave on Monday in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The minister 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,” Dave 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.
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, Dave said.
