City takes in reason, Diwali din goes down

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 20

All awareness campaigns on green Diwali led by schools and social welfare organisations and knowledge about the ill effects of bursting crackers seem to have paid off on Diwali.

The noise pollution level in the city, as per the samples collected and analysed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, although crossed the permissible limits, were still far better than those recorded in the past years.

The data collected by the Punjab Pollution Control Board through the use of noise-monitoring systems installed at prime places across the city showed that the level of noise pollution on Diwali night was high but within the limits.

In compliance with the High Court order, regarding the control of noise pollution during the festival season, the Punjab Pollution Control Board has collected data through the noise monitoring systems at a residential area (Model Town), silent zone (Civil Hospital) and a commercial area (near Gol Diggi) in the city.

As per the data released by the PPCB, the noise pollution was recorded at 42.03 decibel (dB) in commercial area this year.

This is far better than 61.6 decibel (dB) recorded in 2014 on the night of Diwali, 79.1 dB in 2013 and 103.0 dB in 2012.

The maximum level of noise pollution in commercial zone of Gol Diggi was recorded at 84.3 dB in 2011 and 104.5 dB in 2010, as per the available data.

The noise pollution level in sensitive area (Civil Hospital) has also been falling steadily over the years.

This year, it was recorded at 53.45 dB, which is a steep fall as compared to 100.5dB recorded in 2012 and 77.7 dB in 2013.

As per the data, in the residential area (Model Town), the noise level was recorded at 42.03 dB. It was 103.3 dB in 2012, 75.7 dB in 2015, 51.6 in 2014.

In the residential zone of the city, the maximum level of noise was 84.6 dB in 2011 and 105.2 dB in 2010.

The ambient air quality standards with respect to noise for different zones prescribed under Rule 3(1) of Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules are: 65 dB and 55 dB for commercial area, 55 dB and 45dB for residential area and 50 dB and 40 dB for silence zone.

Using the portable decibel (dB) meter, the board also studied the noise level on Diwali from 6 pm to midnight. Before that similar data had been collected to draw comparisons with an uneventful day.

Air pollution rises

As for the presence of particulate matter in the air in Bathinda on the night of Diwali, particulate matter (size less than 10 µm) or PM10 µg/m3 was recorded at 149.2 at 9.30 pm while permissible limit for it is 100.

Particulate matter (size less than 2.5 µm) or PM2.5 µg/m3 was recorded at 58.5, which was within the permissible limit of 60.

Data released by PPCB

• As per the data released by the PPCB, the noise pollution was recorded at 42.03 decibel (dB) in commercial area this year. 
• This is far better than 61.6 decibel (dB) recorded in 2014.
• The noise pollution level in sensitive area (Civil Hospital) has also fallen steadily over the years.

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