Deepavali just got noisier by four per cent in the city. Despite several campaigns and public appeals for a noiseless festival, the average noise level recorded in the city limits on Thursday was 74.4 dBA, a slight jump from 71 dBA, which was recorded last Deepavali.
According to the data released by the Telangana Pollution Control Board, noise levels increased in residential areas whereas it surprisingly decreased in the commercial and industrial zones.
The Board recorded the noise levels at 11 locations across the city which included Abids, Gachibowli, Kukatpally, Tarnaka, Paradise, Jeedimetla, Zoo Park, Punjagutta, Jubilee Hills, Uppal and Pragathinagar. Out of these, the recordings were monitored online in nine locations, while two were done manually from Thursday evening 6 p.m. to Friday morning 6 a.m.
While Pragathinagar in Kukatpally recorded the highest noise levels of 85.5 dBA, Gachibowli was the lowest with 52 dBA. The Nehru Zoo Park, which falls under the silent zone, recorded 56 dBA, one decibel higher than the last year. Abids and Jubilee Hills recorded higher levels this festival whereas busy junctions – Paradise and Punjagutta – showed decreased noise levels.
W.G. Prasanna Kumar, senior social scientist, Telangana Pollution Control Board, said, “Contrary to people’s perception that very less crackers were bought and burst during this year’s Deepavali, our recordings show that the noise levels have gone up compared to the last year Deepavali.”
However, he informed that average noise levels in the commercial zone which includes Abids, Paradise and Punjagutta was almost on par with daily average.
P. Veeranna, laboratory officer, Telangana Pollution Control Board, said the noise levels during this Deepavali was not much of a concern as the levels had touched an average of 90 dBA to 100 dBA till even a few years ago in the city.
