The Hindu : New Delhi News : Noise levels in flight path higher than safe limits

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Thursday, Mar 13, 2008
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New Delhi

Noise levels in flight path higher than safe limits

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

No respite for the Capital’s residents any time of the day: Pollution Control Board

NEW DELHI: Delhiites living in areas that fall under the flight path are exposed to high levels of ambient noise that is well past the limits considered safe for humans, states a Central Pollution Control Board report.

A senior CPCB official said: “Noise levels in residential areas located under the flight path of air traffic from Indira Gandhi International Airport were recorded much higher than the prescribed limits. What is, however, a cause for worry is the fact that the day and night readings of the noise levels were high, meaning there is no respite for residents falling under the flight path at any time of the day.”

The ambient noise standard for residential areas is 55 decibel during the day and 45 decibel at night. According to data released by CPCB, the monitoring station at the Health Centre in Dwarka recorded noise levels of 64.3 decibel during day and a high of 64.5 decibel during night. Another monitoring site at Jawaharlal Nehru University recorded noise levels of 65.8 decibel during day and 65.9 decibel at night.

“Both readings point to an unhealthy trend of residents being exposed to high amounts of noise pollution. Several residential and silence zones in the Capital are exposed to high levels of noise with little check on it,” added the CPCB official.

Heart Care Foundation of India president Dr. K. K. Aggarwal said: “People living near airports experience both chronic and acute blood pressure increases in response to aircraft sounds even during sleep. We now have access to research material which proves it.”

Meanwhile, the Delhi International Airport Limited claims that it set up a full-fledged environment department headed by an environment specialist last year to monitor environmental parameters in and around the airport.

“The department follows the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s ‘Balanced Approach for Noise Control’ which among other elements also looks at controlling noise at source (aircraft and engine designs). DIAL has floated tenders to set up five noise monitoring terminals. This will help us monitor the noise of each aircraft and the help us generate a report and analyse the noise levels and share it with airlines and other relevant authorities so that corrective measures could be taken,” said DIAL spokesperson Arun Arora.

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