Photo credit: Bhavesh Jain
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
This article in the Deccan Herald, based in Bengaluru, India (formerly known as Bangalore), discusses the rise in noise pollution as the city recovers from COVID lockdowns.
Noise levels are exceeding allowed limits on many days, especially in silent zones. Silent zones are noise-sensitive areas around hospitals, educational institutions, courts and religious places.
I learned that Bengaluru actually has allowable noise limits, something lacking in American cities, with nighttime noise limits set at a very quiet 45 decibels. There are also 10 noise pollution monitoring sites.
The police authorities don’t appear very successful in limiting horn noise from vehicles, but at least they are trying. I wish I could say the same about police authorities in the United States, who don’t seem very concerned about noise at all.
