Campaign brings down noise levels

 Saddled with the dubious distinction as the noisiest location in City by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), undeterred residents of Koramangala took it upon themselves to set things right.

And thanks to their innovative initiative — No-Honking-Mondays, noise pollution awareness campaign, saw nearly 10 per cent drop in decibel (dB) levels in the past two months.

Following a KSPCB study pointing out that the noise levels in urban Koramangala was as high as 95 dB, the residents launched the campaign on November 5, with volunteers standing at traffic signals accosting vehicle drivers to explain about the campaign and soliciting their cooperation.

Besides handing out fliers and “Let there be peace in Koramangala,” “Don’t honk today” stickers, they educated motorists on the ill-effects of noise pollution and also appealed them not to sound their horn unless absolutely necessary.

Although, the campaign has been suspended for the past two Mondays, the volunteers hope to restart the campaign in the coming days. Koramangala Residents’ Welfare Association General Secretary Nitin Seshadri said they plan to put up sign boards in their area based on the classification of residential, commercial and silent zones to educate the public that they cannot honk in silent zones.

According to KSPCB, noise levels in residential areas are currently between 70-75 dB and average 90-95 decibels in commercial areas; while the permissible levels in the City are 55 dB in residential areas and 65 dB in commercial areas.