Visitors to the India Tourist and Industrial Fair, currently on at Island Grounds, are complaining the event is far too noisy.
As one walks into the fair grounds, loudspeakers at different stalls belt out songs and announcements related to various shows.
Kamesh Bavaratnam, a businessman who had gone with his family to the fair on Saturday, said they were unable to bear the noise.
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“My two-year-old daughter started crying. I have high blood pressure and the noise only pushed it up. Though we wanted to stay longer, we left in an hour,” he says.
On Sunday, noise levels at the exhibition had crossed 85 decibels — measured on an Android phone using two apps that check noise levels.
Akshaya Sekar, a class III student from Virugambakkam who had come with her parents, says she felt bad for the birds at one of the shows that was too noisy. “I love birds and they sounded very disturbed at the show. Other shows too were scary and noisy,” she says.
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Noise pollution apart, the place is littered with icecream sticks, popcorn packets and pamphlets.
Many visitors also noticed children selling plastic toys and goods at the stalls and also greeting people inside and outside the venue.
One boy was seen dressed as a gorilla and sitting outside a stall, ushering visitors to the scary show. Mr. Bavaratnam says it is unfortunate child labour is engaged at an event organised by the government.
Sources in the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation say they will ensure children are not employed and keep a check on noise levels.