VISHAKHAPATNAM: After the high-pitched Sankranti celebrations, it’s time to cool down. The last three days of joy and religious fervour starting from Saturday with Bhogi culminated in the Mukkanuma on Monday. The sound pollution these days from the large influx of vehicles in the streets in major cities was heavy.
Heavy traffic movement since Friday evening has reduced by 70 per cent in cities as people who trooped into their native homes have begun returning to their places of work.
The permissible noise levels are 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night. High decibels of upto 75 dB were recorded at the Jagadamba Centre, the RTC Complex, Siripuram, Hanumanthawaka, Madhuravada and Gajuwaka, said environment engineer at the AP pollution control board S. Venkateswarulu.
He proposed campaigns by the traffic police to bring down the noise levels further, mainly near King George Hospital at Jagadamba Centre, RCD hospital and government chest hospital at Peda Waltair.
ACP (north zone) Kumaraswamy said, “We have seized 3,000 modified silencers being used by the youngsters and got them crushed under road rollers recently. We also removed high decibel music systems from the autorickshaws.’’
Vizag city has six lakh two-wheelers, a lakh of cars and a lakh commercial vehicles, as per RTA officials.
“Humans, particularly children, can tolerate noise only upto 50 dB and worse situations can cause damage to ear-drums,’’ said ENT specialist Dr V.V. Appa Rao.
Permissible limits in industrial areas are 75 dB in day time and 70 dB at night, commercial areas 65 dB – day time and 55 dB at night and in residential areas 55 dB daytime and 45 dB during night. In industrial areas, the level touches 90-100 and in residential areas 60-75 as in Vizag, much above the prescribed limit.
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