Noise monitoring network launched

Delhi and six other cities in the country will now have real-time ambient noise monitoring stations as a national network for mapping noise pollution was launched here Wednesday.

Inaugurating the National Ambient Noise Monitoring Netwrok (NANMN), Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said: 'Monitoring is the first step which is active from today (Wednesday) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) by initiating the NANMN. Now it is upto the seven state governments to use this data and take some action for noise control.'

He also said the CPCB network will create data on noise pollution and will help policy makers and implement agencies in determining their actions for noise control.

In its first phase, the NANMN is implemented in 35 stations in Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

In the second phase 35 more stations is set to be added in the same cities. In the third phase 90 more locations in 18 cities is planned by the CPCB.

'Our target is a total of 160 locations spread over 25 cities in 18 states by 2012,' J.S. Kamyotra, CPCB member secretary, said.

Ramesh said: 'I hope the CPCB will be able to fulfil this objective. The first stage is being fulfilled. But it is upto the state pollution control boards to act on real time data generated so far. This has to be used to smoothen the traffic.'

As an example Ramesh referred that the constantly exceeding noise level in Delhi at the busy ITO area.

'On Delhi ITO road the noise level exceeds 80 decibels when the standard prescribed level is 65 decibels. I urge the Delhi government and Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCB) to use the network and check the noise pollution,'the minister said.

Ramesh also highlighted the need for a similar pollution control monitoring system for water.

Initially it should be implemented in rivers Yamuna and Ganga, he suggested.

He added: 'The four highly polluting industries - tanneries, distilleries, craft paper and dying - which fall in the red category, will be turned to green industries by end of this year.'

He also said that the special budget allocation of Rs.200 crore under environmental remediation for the environment ministry will be used for cleaning operations in highly polluted areas.