Noise standards

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT’s) decision to increase the penalties for violating noise pollution norms in Delhi is a good step to rein in this rapidly escalating menace. Equally significant is its counsel to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to apply the same deterrents in other parts of the country. The revised penalties entail fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh, seizing the noise-making equipment, and a jail term of up to five years. This move is, in fact, part of the slew of initiatives taken by this quasi-judicial body in the recent past to combat noise