Visakhapatnam: Failure in the implementation of ‘no honking’ rule is spiking noise pollution levels in the silence zones in the city. Silence zone is referred to as areas up to 100 metres around premises like hospitals, educational institutions and courts.
The Silence zones are to be declared by the Competent Authority. Use of vehicular horns is banned in the zones. The daytime standard limit is 50 dB while 40 dB at night, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms.
However, major violation was observed at King George Hospital, where there is no restriction on vehicular movement and honking too. The CPCB report shows that the annual average noise level recorded at the hospital hovers around 63 dB. Majority of the hospitals whether in Zilla Parishad or Ramnagar are located close to busy roads. However, there are not adequate boards put up prohibiting honking.
The traffic police also do not impose any fine for honking near silence zones, which is aggravating the noise level. The situation is no different near the educational institutions.
Commercial areas, industrial regions and even residential zones experience extreme levels of pollution making lives of residents in the city miserable and stress-ridden. Environmentalists say that the ever increasing vehicular population and others are responsible for the stressful scenario.
The remodelling of bikes and changing the original silencer of the high-end bikes with louder ones is also worsening the noise level. R. Lakshmi Narayana, head of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (Vizag) said that only strict measures by the traffic police can check noise pollution.
Health city to be ‘no honking zone’:
Environment engineer R. Lakshmi Narayana said maintaining the standard of noise limits when the hospitals are scattered and close to busy roads was tough.
“We will ensure that the silence zone guidelines are strictly followed in the health city coming up near Arilova. It would also be feasible to check noise level there,” he added.
