DNA Exclusive: Will Delhi Police's sound level metre help in curbing noise pollution?

In DNA on Thursday, Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary analyses the increasing noise pollution on the streets of Delhi and the recent step taken to curb it.

Noise pollution has become a major problem for people and today a DNA test has been done on the noise violence on the streets. If you have installed pressure horn in your car, then you should be more attentive to this news. The horn in your car, bike or truck will first affect your hearing because you are one who is in the most contact with that horn. 

For the first time, challans of vehicles have been issued to curb noise pollution in Delhi. The reason why these challans were deducted for the first time is that the Delhi Police has recently received Sound Level Meter so that they can check the noise level and issue the challan accordingly.

A fine of up to Rs 1 lakh may be incurred if the challan for noise pollution is issued and in this case, the punishment can be up to five years. However, no challan has been issued so far in Delhi, and it is yet to be heard in the court.

The habit of blowing the horn without a need is considered rude but people in India get such horns installed with great pride. The louder the horn, the greater the pride. Following this principle, people demand loud, bang-like horn even in two-wheelers. People get loud horns fitted in cars and trucks and they don't even consider it rude. People who use such horns consider it as a style statement. India's capital Delhi is at number one in the country and second in the world in terms of noise pollution.

Today, for the first time in Delhi, the challans of noise polluters were cut. How sad it is that the police have to resort to challans to stop the blowing of the horn, which is considered a sign of rudeness! These invoices are being deducted under the Central Government's Noise Pollution Regulation Control Rules 2020. If your car is also equipped with Pressure Horn, then you should note this information carefully.

In residential areas, the noise of more than 55 decibels in the day and 45 decibels at night will come under the scanner. In the industrial area, noise in excess of 75 decibels during the day and 70 decibels at night will be considered as noise pollution. In the silence zone, noise in excess of 50 decibels in the day and 40 decibels at night will be called noise pollution and challan will be deducted for this. Day standards from 6 am to 10 pm and night standards from 10 pm to 6 am will apply.

Under the Environment Protection Act, a provision has been made to issue the challan for noise pollution. These challans can be deducted not only for vehicles but also for playing loud DJs and loudspeakers. However, the rules are slightly different for that. In religious and cultural events from 10 pm to 12 am if you want to play a loudspeaker or a DJ with loud music, then permission has to be taken for this. According to the rule, the number of such days cannot exceed 15 in a year. However, after 12 am, no such permit can be obtained till 6 am.

Noise is a kind of ideological violence, which should be stopped on its own and not on the challan. But still many people do not understand this and that's why we have done an ear-opening DNA test of pressure horn for such people today.

Blow Horn and Horn Ok Pls--it is only thanks to these messages that invite you to play the horn, In our country, the horn is considered to be the voice of pride but today, the Delhi Police handed over the receipt of the challan to a person who was violating rules.

In fact, the Delhi Police got sound level meters this week to do noise pollution checks and this device is now being used to silence those who are making more noise than the prescribed standards. Withstand a huge challan of 1 lakh, or avoid silence with the habit of playing the horn--the decision is yours.

According to a recent study, the hearing ability of the people of Delhi is decreasing. One out of every four people living in Delhi has ears older than their age of 20 years.

According to the WHO, the horns of vehicles should be up to 45 decibels at night and 55 decibels at night. But the laxity of following the rules in India is that the horns in many vehicles range from 60 to 100 decibels. According to the Indian Medical Association, human ears can withstand sounds up to 60 decibels. If you are experiencing noise of more than 80 decibels for 6 to 8 hours 5 days a week, then you can also become deaf. Apart from this, you can be a victim of mental illnesses.

According to the new provisions added to the Motor Vehicle Act in 2019, it is illegal to install a separate pressure horn in any vehicle. In Delhi, the city with the most vehicles, the police have started a challan campaign to silence the noise.

Playing horns at night is forbidden in London and Paris since 1930. Rules for honking were made in Germany in 1936. In South America, Peru, strict rules were made in 2009 of playing the horn without being required. For violating the rules, the car is forfeited in addition to the cancellation of the license there.

But now in India, action has started against noise pollution. A car ran for the first time on India's roads in 1897, 123 years ago. After this, on October 1, 1908, the first such car by the name of Ford Model T came in the market that the common people could buy. In 1910, Oliver Lucas of England created the world's first electronic horn aimed at alerting the pedestrians and other drivers in front of the car to avoid collisions and accidents.

Miller Hutchison (Miller Hutcheson), a US-based inventor called the Right-Hand of Thomas Alva Edison, patented the Electro-Mechanical Horn some 112 years ago. He invented the horn for necessity but today the same horn has become the biggest weapon of sound violence.