Mumbai : After a downfall in the noise pollution recorded, the levels raised this Diwali as Mumbaites blatantly fluted the 10 pm deadline. The maximum noise level of the crackers went down but the average remained high as crackers were burst way past the deadline.
Several pockets of the city reported high level of noise pollution during the night time. The pollution was higher in the night as compared to the day time. The noise level at Colaba, Mazgaon, Girgaon, Prabhadevi, Hindu Colony, Gandhi Market (Sion), Kamathi Pura and Malabar Hill on October 23 between 10 pm and 6 am in higher than during the day. Prabhadevi topped the list with highest noise level in the city including at 84.5 Db between 6 am to 10 pm and 85.2 Db between 10 pm and 6 am. The noise level last year at Prabhadevi was restricted to 65.5 Db during the day and 77.8 Db in November 2013.
On October 24, the noise level at Prabhadevi touched 90. 9 Db from 71.8 Db last year. It was followed by Mahim Police Colony which recorded 87.1 Db from 77.1 in November 2013 during the day time. The lowest this year was reported at Saki Naka with 63 Db and Hindu Colony at 61.1 Db.
Anti-noise activist, Suma-ira Abdulali said, “Mumbai Police failed to regulate the 10 pm deadline which was blatantly flouted by people around the city. When people made calls to the police informing them about the deadline they were told the deadline was 12 pm.”
“The 10 pm deadline was very stringent last year but it was not the case this year. But, this year the police has been able to restrict the sale of rasi bombs which create very loud noise,” she added.
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, scientist with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) said, “There is a lot of awareness but it needs to be a system developed to regulate the inflow of crackers in the markers. Crackers are being dumped into the market without considering damage to the environment.”
