Mumbai, Feb 26: In a city that is constantly rebuilding and reshaping itself, Mumbai appears to have marked yet another first. Visuals shared by Viral Bhayani on Instagram show a construction site fitted with dedicated noise barriers, a move that is being seen as the first such effort in the city to curb sound pollution at redevelopment projects actively.
For residents long accustomed to the relentless sounds of redevelopment, this small change signals a potentially significant shift.
Activist Writes To Civic Chief
On Wednesday, noted activist Dr Avisha Kulkarni wrote to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, urging the civic body to make sound barriers mandatory at all construction sites across Mumbai.
Speaking to FPJ, Dr Kulkarni said that with a surge in redevelopment projects, especially those involving pile foundation drilling, construction noise has multiplied several times over. She said the present practice of covering sites with galvanised iron sheets does little to contain sound, leaving surrounding neighbourhoods exposed to excessive noise.
Residents Struggle With Constant Noise
Residents living along major redevelopment stretches, including corridors that run nearly 33.5 kilometres from south to north Mumbai, have been among the worst affected.
Asha Gandhi, a resident of Borivali East, said the noise levels routinely cross permissible limits, converting what should have been a temporary inconvenience into sustained hardship.
She described the relentless pounding of heavy machinery, which often begins early in the morning and, on several occasions, stretches late into the night. The constant din has unsettled daily routines across the neighbourhood. Conversations are reduced to raised voices, work from home schedules are repeatedly interrupted, and the strain is most visible among elderly residents and young children, many of whom are struggling with disturbed sleep and heightened anxiety.
A Step Towards Accountability
If implemented citywide, mandatory noise barriers could mark a turning point in how Mumbai balances rapid redevelopment with quality of life. For now, the sight of even one site adopting the measure has sparked cautious optimism among citizens who hope that silence, or at least some reduction in noise, may finally return to their neighbourhoods.
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