Deepavali noise hit alarming levels
For a city already troubled by noise pollution, the Deepavali night further took the malaise to new levels, especially in residential areas, anti-pollution control boards have found.
The Central Pollution Control Board had instructed the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board to measure noise levels on November 6, when the twin cities were just getting into a festive mood, and November 13, the Deepavali Day.
Noise levels were recorded from 6 pm till midnight on these days.
Officials reveal that in residential areas, including Jubilee Hills and Pragathinagar, optimum noise levels were fixed at 45 decibels (dB).
On November 6, the noise levels in the latter part of the city went up to 57dB (above optimum), which further rose by about 10dB on November 13 night.
Similarly, fireworks in Jubilee Hills took the noise levels from 49dB (November 6) to 53dB on the D-Night.
Commercial areas of Paradise, Panjagutta and Abids, already higher than the optimum level of 55dB, did not show much fluctuation.
Paradise measured 80dB and 81 dB on November 6 and November 13, respectively In Zoo Park, where nighttime noise levels should have been 40dB, they rose to 49 dB on Diwali night.
■ It was neither a happy nor a safe Deepavali for more than 50 families in the city with crackers that went awry causing grievous injury to the eye in several instances, and burns.
■ The waste figure is likely to go up to 1,600 metric tonnes once the lanes and bylanes are swept for debris on Thursday.
■ Noise pollution can cause partial or permanent deafness, disturb sleep patterns cause irritability, indigestion, high blood pressure, ulcers, and heart disease, in addition to decrease in work efficiency.
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