NGT calls meeting to solve noise pollution woes in South Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has convened a meeting of stakeholders on May 5 to discuss strategy for devising an "effective" solution to the problem of noise pollution caused due to heavy traffic near Panchsheel Park area in South Delhi.
A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi Government, officers of various concerned departments and members of Panchshila Enclave Co-operative House Building Society to be present on May 5 at 4 PM in the Conference Room of the Tribunal for the meeting.
"Parties are eager to find out the real solution. We, therefore, hope that such meeting would be held on the date mutually agreed date i.E May 5, 2015... Participation of elected Managing Committee Members of Panchshila Enclave Co-operative House Building Society was also permitted in such meeting.

"We, therefore, direct issuance of notice to the elected Managing Committee Members of Panchshila Enclave Co-operative House Building Society informing them of scheduled meeting," the bench said.
The directions came while hearing a petition of Panchsheel Park resident Omesh Saigal, who had alleged that noise pollution, generated due to heavy traffic flow on the Outer Ring road, was affecting the health of the people living in the area.
Delhi Pollution Control Committee had also informed the Tribunal that roadside noise levels near Panchsheel Park area in South Delhi were beyond permissible limits.

On March 11, the Tribunal had directed the authorities to declare the area as a "No Horn" Zone with immediate effect, install necessary boards at conspicuous locations and confine the speed of vehicles in the area to 30 km per hour.

It had directed police to "strictly" prevent overloaded vehicles in the area and imposed a ban on use of pressure horns.
The green panel had also directed installation of speed cameras to monitor speed of the vehicles and asked the residents of Panchsheel Park to insulate the windows of their houses so that minimum sound pollution is caused and employ methods like vegetative boundaries to confine the noise caused.