Pollution board mulls 'noise governors'

Bursting crackers or dancing to the tunes of a disc jockey (DJ) will not be the same in times to come with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) planning to install noise governors on instruments that multiply sound. These noise governors are on the same lines as speed governors in vehicles and will shut off the noise-causing instrument like sound boxes or DJ systems, the moment noise crosses the prescribed limits.

“These noise governors will be embedded in the instruments to ensure that no one can breach or fiddle with the limits prescribed for particular instruments that are used to multiply sound. These will either not let the noise go beyond its limit or will completely shut off the system,” CPCB chairman S P Gautam told Business Standard.

Gautam did not, however, put a specific time-frame for the initiative. “We are in talks with the ministry and will install them as soon as possible,” said Gautam.
 

CPCB’S SOUND ADVICE UPPER LIMITS IN DECIBELS
Category  of area	Day  time	Night  time
Industrial area	75	70
Commercial area	65	55
Residential  area	55	45
Silence  zone	50	40

CPCB will also manage the National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network that is being set up by the ministry of environment and forests. The objective of the network is to undertake national level monitoring and reporting for noise pollution.

Based on the pattern of existing air and water networks, the setting up of this network and development of infrastructure for noise mapping in the country is expected to be in place within five years. The total cost of the project is Rs 10 crore.

The government recently amended the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000 to include new sources of noise mainly musical instruments, use of construction machinery and fire crackers between 10 p m and 6 a m. Earlier, noise limits were prescribed for automobiles, domestic appliances and construction equipment at the manufacturing stage and standards were evolved and notified for generator sets, fire crackers and coal mines.

“The use of construction machines, musical instruments, bursting of noise-emitting firecrackers and horns beyond permissible limits at night in residential areas has also been made a punishable offence leading to seven years imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1 lakh,” environment minister Jairam Ramesh had earlier said.

However, in the case of noise governors, once they are installed, there will be no need for punitive action like imprisonment or fines because the maximum permissible limits will not be crossed. The limits are location-specific and are different for residential and industrial areas (see table). Though CPCB is still conducting studies on the technology and cost of these noise governors, it plans to approach companies to manufacture them.

“The technology and implementation will be done by the manufacturers of instruments that create noise. We will only give them the guidelines for doing so but the technology will be theirs. Guidelines for putting these barriers will be published so that the manufacturing does not cross the prescribed levels,” said Gautam.

The board is also mulling similar control systems for fire crackers to keep noise pollution in check. “We can govern noise pollution in crackers by fixing the quantity and pressure of explosives in them,” added Gautam.