Kasba and SSKM on opposite ends in noise pollution on Christmas-NY eve
On Christmas eve and New Year’s eve night, Kasba in eastern Kolkata emerged as the loudest location in the city, surpassing the night-time noise standard for industrial areas of 70 dB, reaching 86 dB.
Similarly, on New Year’s eve night, Kasba had marginally exceeded the national standard, registering at 72 dB.
During the year-end festive nights, SSKM Hospital, designated as a silent zone, stayed the most serene, followed by the Bengal Pollution Control Board headquarters area of Bidhannagar, classified as a commercial zone.
However, in both the locations, the noise levels surpassed the national standards for silent zones. In the vicinity of SSKM Hospital, the noise level on New Year’s eve was recorded at 56 dB, exceeding the standard of 40dB. However, thankfully, it was lower this year, compared to the 64 dB of last year.
Besides fireworks, the influence of open-air music and DJ performances significantly added to the overall ambient noise during the two evenings.
However, many citizens and NGOs noted a reduction in open-air musical events and the utilisation of amplifiers on these particular nights, compared to the last few years.
