The lutyens’ Delhi is going to be a better place to live in as far as noise control and policing are concerned. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to increase the number of ‘silence’ and ‘no tolerance’ zones in the area. Besides a quieter environment, it also means enhanced policing to keep a check on violations.
NDMC took the decision following directions by lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Officials said avenues like Ashoka Road, Aurangzeb Road, Tughlaq Road, Ferozshah Road, Amrita Shergil Marg and others may be declared as silence zones. According to the NDMC, officials are in the process of identifying new stretches that would be declared ‘silence’ or ‘zero tolerance’ zones. Currently a limited area within NDMC comes under these zones, including Parliament Street (no honking) and Tilak Marg (no tolerance).
According to the NDMC, signage reading ‘Tranquil Zone’ will be put up in the areas — mostly inhabited by top politicians and bureaucrats — where a maximum sound of up to 50 decibels in the day and 40 decibels at night will be permitted. People will also find another signage saying ‘zero tolerance’ where the traffic police may haul up motorists who flout even the most generally insignificant traffic rules.
“We have written to the Delhi Traffic Police to which they have promptly replied. They are currently identifying potential areas based on the environment and human behaviour of the places. Avenues like Ashoka Road, Aurangzeb Road, Tughlaq Road, Amrita Shergil Marg and others may be declared as such zones. There will be heavy patrolling by traffic police and any rule flouted will result in prosecution,” said Jalaj Shrivastava, Chairperson, NDMC.
“It is the vision of the lG to make the city a calmer and more peaceful place to live in. New Delhi area is the most logistically viable place to start with. Hence, he had directed us to create zones where there wouldn’t be any honking or where traffic rules were seldom flouted,” informed Shrivastava.
Silence zones cover courts, hospitals and educational institutions. Besides, any kind of loud noise like honking, firecrackers or loud speakers is prohibited in a radius of 100 metres from these places. Zero-tolerance zone was introduced by the city’s traffic police back in 1999.
Explaining the concept behind it, AK Mishra, Director (Enforcement and Public Relations), said, “It’s a move to control noise pollution and maintain the aesthetics of the place. By following these norms even people will contribute in making our area more fresh and peaceful. The traffic police will issue challans if anyone crosses over to other lane or slips past the stop sign or violates any other law.”