Delhi is deaf to dangerously loud noise pollution
Delhi’s pollution problems are infamous. Known all too well by Delhite and travelers alike. But while a lack of visibility in the sky’s has made the issue of air quality evident, it may have left locals blind to the city’s noise. Noise pollution drifts through the capital on the daily. A constant, invisible, but no less apparent annoyance that is severely damaging to the health of individuals. It’s a problem faced by most modern, industrial and traffic burdened cities. However, what distinguishes Delhi from others is its motorists’ incessant use of the horn. Ear drums are assaulted by the barrage of blasts of automobile horns. 88 lakh of them contributing to a chorus of chaos. Highly offensive in most cities around the world, in Delhi horn blowing is ironically something of a courtesy call, it’s the language of the road and all road users are fluent in it. Instead of slowing down drivers will sound their horns at every opportunity to alert anyone who shares the road of their presence. At intersections or traffic signals a moments pause at the wrong time will result in an instant assault of horns that themselves do not pause until movement resumes. Whether in a free flowing motorway, a congested market strip or a silent suburban lane, nowhere is sacred to the scare of a horn. The deafening disturbance rings out loud, dangerously loud. Using a professional sound recording device I tested just how loud one of the capital’s most troublesome areas is. That place being Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, which on a busy Saturday is the catastrophic apex of noise. By merely standing on the sidewalks it’s apparent how loud the passing cars, trucks, motorbikes and scooters are. A relentless high pitched piercing. I’m barley able to hear people talk around me and have to shout to get any word out. Being amongst the traffic my ears burn with the ear-splitting sound. From the tests conducted, traffic generally hovers around 82 dB and peaks at 89 dB. We arrived at these result by averaging the noise levels of six hours of recording. The difference of sound at varying times was negligible. No matter the period of day, traffic generally remained at a constant noise level. There were some exceptional occurrences which saw a significant spike in sound. A car blocking the movement of traffic results in a backup of vehicles and a bombardment of horns echoing throughout the street. This gets a sound reading of 98 dB. A passing motorcycle weaving through traffic thunders down the crowded street emitting a painful buzz that rings in my ear and continue to for quite some time after. The sound reaches a menacingly loud reading of 114 dB. Traffic noise, including the revving of motor vehicle engines, the pumping of exhausts and the screaming of accessories, is the biggest cause of noise pollution in major cities along with that from factories. Noise disturbance is extremely prejudicial to comfort and health of individuals. Anything louder than 50 dB to 55 dB triggers annoyance or irritability. Prolonged unprotected exposure to noise higher than 85 dB, for a time as little as 15 minutes, causes substantial hearing loss. A noise level of 65 dB is the maximum permitted for commercial areas in Delhi. With the recorded honking almost exceeding 50 dB of that limit it is evident drivers don’t comply to these regulations. Similarly, the public has become either ignorant or accustomed to the issue. While severely harmful, traffic noise is a hallmark of not only Delhi but the nation as a whole, seemingly accepted by most as the norm. As brought up in a 1998 High Court case on the subject, “Use of unnecessary horn in vehicles has become a part and parcel of Indian culture.” People wear respirators and other protective masks to shield themselves from the ills of poor air, but choose to risk the adverse effects of noise. Earmuffs are never worn on the streets, even though the consequences of not protecting oneself are just as damaging. A recent study attributed the harmful noise of traffic to the onset of age-related hearing loss 15 years earlier than normal, as well as causing increased stress and heart disease. The problem persists but it seems most have simply become deaf to the urban roar around them. For all the latest Lifestyle News, download Indian Express App now
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