Italian firm studies five noisy spots

To bring down noise levels in the city,the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has roped in an Italy-based company to conduct noise mapping study in some areas.

To bring down noise levels in the city,the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has roped in an Italy-based company to conduct noise mapping study in some areas. The study,which began last week,will be conducted at five noise-sensitive spots in the city civic-run KEM Hospital at Parel,Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar,a municipal school in Hindu Colony Dadar,civic owned-Sion Hospital and Paris Gymkhana. The civic body plans to instal noise barriers in these areas after the study.

Officials from the Italy-based company visited the shortlisted spots along with BMC officials last month.

We will first conduct the study to understand the noise levels in these areas,detect the sources and then mitigate the measures to lessen the noise pollution. We have selected these spots as they are highly noise sensitive. We have included hospitals and schools as high levels of noise are dangerous for schoolchildren and patients, additional municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta said.

The initiative comes just months after Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar visited Italy to study and inspect sound barrier technologies and management of noise pollution in the country. The delegation included Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Commissioner Rahul Asthana,Principal Secretary T C Benjamin and officials from other state level agencies.

While hospital or a school is a good place to start the process of noise mapping and installing noise barriers,the BMC should do a comparative analysis of all other noise barrier technologies available in the market. Not only Italy,but many other countries around the world have highly effective noise barrier technologies and one should make an informed decision,said Sumaira Abdulali,environmental activist and convenor of anti-noise Awaaz Foundation

A noise map is a graphic representation of the sound level distribution existing in a given region for a defined period. Noise barriers reduce the noise generated in these areas. While some noise barriers absorb noise,others deflect it. Officials said the barriers will be made of steel,plastic and mixed alloys.

This is the first time the BMC has initiated a project to instal noise barriers in the city. The MMRDA had installed sound barriers at Bandra-Kurla Complex on a pilot basis early last year.

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