Noise levels beyond limit across MMR’s silence, residential zones

Mumbai

Not just Mumbai, but rapidly developing cities and towns in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are experiencing rising noise pollution levels with silence and residential zones breaching permissible limits, reveals a new study.

Researchers at CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Mumbai zonal centre, monitored noise levels in 153 locations based on land use and land cover in nine municipal corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayandar, Ulhasnagar and Vasai-Virar under MMR, which is spread over 4354.50sqkms.

Analysis of decibel levels revealed that emerging cities and towns of Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Kalyan-Dombivli and Mira-Bhayandar were noisier than Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Thane and Navi Mumbai. All locations breached World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines.

The study, ‘Noise pollution in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR): An emerging environmental threat’, undertaken following directions of the Bombay high court, was published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, an international peer-reviewed journal, on January 30. “Urbanisation, unplanned developmental and commercial activities, increasing traffic congestion that escalates honking, construction and demolition and industrialisation are contributing factors for the rising levels of noise pollution across MMR during working and non-working days,” said the report, co-authored by Ritesh Vijay, scientist in charge, CSIR-NEERI (Mumbai).

Researchers said assessing decibel levels in 153 locations comprising residential (48), commercial (36), industrial (35) and silence zones (34) and recommending control strategies are vital to preventing 20.1 million (Census 2011) MMR residents from being exposed to health hazards of noise pollution. Studies have shown that continuous exposure to high levels of noise can lead to irritation, lack of concentration, sleep disturbance, insomnia, hypertension, restlessness and tinnitus. Exposure to high noise levels (80-85 decibels) over a long duration can lead to temporary and permanent loss of hearing, as per WHO.

Among the nine locations, Ulhasnagar with 89.2% built-up area was found to be the noisiest while Navi Mumbai, considered a well-planned township with 44.5% built-up area, was the least noisy. Noise levels in Mumbai were lower than Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayandar, Ulhasnagar and Vasai-Virar.

“Over the last 10 years, Ulhasnagar has become an important region for business with large number of electronics, confectionaries, clothes and furniture market. With so much development that has a bearing on other aspects such as traffic congestion, emerging commercial centres like Ulhasnagar and Bhiwandi-Nizampur have become noisy,” said the report.

With large-scale infrastructure projects underway in MMR such as Metro, monorail or road widening projects, anti-noise activist Sumaira Abdulali said reduction of noise should be part of the planning process by government agencies. “Agencies want to keep costs at minimum. What they do not factor is cost to public health,” said Abdulali, convener of non-profit Awaaz Foundation who was not involved in the study.

SC Kollur, chief scientist, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, was unavailable for comment. VM Mothgare, joint director, refused to comment as he had not seen the study.

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