The average level of noise pollution generally exceeds permissible
limits in seven Indian cities, which include Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and
Chennai, Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in the Rajya
Sabha on Monday.

According to Mr. Dave, the Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB), in association with its counterparts in every
State, monitors noise pollution in seven metropolitan cities — Mumbai,
Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad — through a
network of 70 noise-monitoring stations under the National Ambient Noise
Monitoring Programme (NANMP).

“The data from these monitoring
stations indicate that average noise pollution levels generally exceed
the permissible limits. This includes noise from vehicle horns,” said
Mr. Dave.

Following standards

The
noise standards for motor vehicles, air conditioners, refrigerators,
gensets and certain types of construction equipment are prescribed in
the Schedules of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Minister
said.

He said that pressure horns (sirens and multi-tone horns)
are banned except for police vans, ambulances and fire brigade vehicles
under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Measures taken to
reduce noise pollution in metropolitan cities include advisories for
noise monitoring on the occasion of Diwali, prohibition of the use of
fireworks between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., awareness programmes to avoid
bursting of firecrackers and issuing directions under relevant sections
of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.