Monsoon in Delhi is not a boon but a bane as it creates traffic snarls. Residents often complain as they are forced to tolerate the intolerable vehicular noise while in jams for hours.
Students find themselves at the receiving end as noise pollution disturbs their studies. Take the case of Binny Mehlwal a resident of neighbouring Haryana who came to Delhi to join a coaching centre in South Extension. Mehlwal aims to crack national-level medical exam but he finds it difficult to concentrate in studies amid constant loud noises of honking in his locality.
“Soon, I will shift to some other place. The coaching centre where I study is also situated on the roadside. The noise of vehicles whizzing past makes it difficult to concentrate. Whatever I am learning during coaching classes, I am not able to revise it at my home because of vehicular noise,” said Mehlwal.
There are a number of students like him who find it difficult to study as the decibel level of vehicular noise disturbs their studies.
Not only the students but professionals too are facing problems due to the constant blaring of the horns especially on rainy days when traffic runs slowly.
ITO, the busiest junction in the national Capital where thousands of vehicles cris-cross, generates enormous air and noise pollution.
According to the Delhi traffic expert Dr Seva Ram, “Total number of vehicles in peak hours has been increased by one thousand this year .In 2015, the number of cars passing during peak hours was 13000 per hour while number of pedestrians was 1,800.” However, this year both the numbers have increased by one thousand, he said.
According to environmentalists, if such numbers of cars pass through this particular intersection of ITO, then there should be precise observations, which should be monitored by the pollution control agencies.
“ITO junction in Delhi registers around 74 decibel (dB) of sound on a typical day which is almost 10db over the limit for commercial areas,” said an activist sharing a WHO report on Noise pollution.
Health experts in Delhi said noise pollution can become the reason of many ailments. “Not just the irreversible hearing loss but also anxiety attacks, hypertension and heart disease can be caused,” said a health expert.