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A Trend Analysis

On

Noise Monitoring of Tripura

Data Collected, Compiled and Analyzed By

TSPCB-ENVIS Centre

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Introduction

Deepabali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn and it is one of the major

festivals of Hinduism. It spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge

over ignorance, and hope over despair. Its celebration includes millions of lights shining on housetops,

outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where

it is observed.

But last few years it has turned into a noisy occasion due to bursting of fire crackers. Fire

crackers are generally classified as light emitting and sound emitting. But several hybrid types are now

available which are both light emitting and sound emitting. They also generate a lot of sound.

The rapid pace of development, increasing number of vehicles, music systems & beating of Drum in the

puja pandals and different social gatherings also contribute to an increasingly noisy environment. The

high noise levels in both day time and night time are mainly due to playing of mikes, sound boxes,

beating of drums, vehicular movement, public address system and other influences.

In compliance of the Direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India Tripura State Pollution Control

Board (TSPCB) conducted noise level monitoring around Agartala the state capital of Tripura, Udaipur in

Gomati and Dharmanagar in North Tripura district, Ambassa in Dhalai district on Pre-Deepabali Day iand

on Deepabali Day between 18.00 Hrs. to 24.00 Hrs as per proforma sent by Central Pollution Control

Board (CPCB).

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Sources of Noise Pollution:

Major causes / sources of noise pollution are:

(i) Industrial Sources:

Progress in technology (industrialization) has resulted in creating noise pollu­tion. Textile mills, printing

presses, engineering establishments and metal works etc. contribute heavily towards noise pollution. In

industrial cities like Kolkata, Ludhiana, Kanpur etc., often the industrial zones are not separated from the

residential zones of the city especially in the case of small scale industries.

(ii) Transport Vehicles:

Automobile revolution in urban centers has proved to be a big source of noise pollution. Increasing traffic

has given rise to traffic jams in congested areas where the repeated hooting of horns by impatient drivers

pierce the ears of all road users.

Noise from airplanes constitutes an increasing serious problem in big cities

like Delhi & Mumbai. Airport situated in the vicinity of population centres and the air planes pass over

residential areas. Heavy trucks, buses trains, jet-planes, motor-cycles, scooters, mopeds, jeeps—the list of

vehicles is endless but the outcome is same — noise pollution.

(iii) Household:

The household is an industry in itself and is a source of many indoor noises such as the banging of doors,

noise of playing children, crying of infants, moving of furniture, loud conversation of the inhabitants etc.

Besides these are the entertainment equipment in the house, namely the radio, record-players and

television sets. Domestic gadgets like the mixer-grinders, pressure cookers, desert coolers, air-

conditioners, exhaust fans, vacuum cleaners, sewing and washing machines are all indoor sources of noise

pollution.

(iv) Public Address System:

In India people need only the slightest of an excuse for using loud speakers. The reason may be a

religious function, birth, death, marriage, elections, dem­onstration, or just commercial advertising. Public

system, therefore, contrib­utes in its own way towards noise pollution.

(v) Agricultural Machines:

Tractors, thrashers, harvesters, tube wells, powered tillers etc. have all made agriculture highly

mechanical but at the same time highly noisy. Noise level 90 dB to 98 dB due to running of farm

machines have been recorded in the state of Punja

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(vi) Defense Equipment:

A lot of noise pollution is added to the atmosphere by artillery, tanks, launching of rockets, explosions,

exercising of military airplanes and shooting practices. Screams of jet engines and sonic booms have a

deafening impact on the ears and in extreme cases have been known to shatter the window panes and old

dilapidated buildings.

(vii) Miscellaneous Sources:

The automobile repair shops, construction-works, blasting, bulldozing, stone crushing etc. are other

sources of noise pollution.

Formula to calculate the Noise Level at any monitoring station

A noise level may consist of different types of sounds (continuous noise, intermittent noise and

impulse noise) with different pressure levels (Lp) operating for different time intervals. The

frequencies of these sounds may also vary. The combined resultant noise will infact be

responsible for determining the human response and degree of annoyance caused by it. The

combined impact of different sound pressures lasting for different periods is therefore at tempted

to be worked out by using some statistical measures such as LN and Leq. Leq is that statistical

value of sound pressure level that can be equated to any fluctuating noise level.

The noise levels were calculated in Leq using the Leq Formula. The formula is given below:

Leq = 10 log (Li/10)

x ti

N = Total number of sound sample

ti = time duration of ith sample, expressed as fraction of total sample time

Li = Sound Intensity Level

Lmin = Minimum Noise Level during the period of measurement

Lmax = Maximum Noise Level during the period of measurement

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Ambient Noise Standards

Table 1: Ambient Air Quality standards in respect of noise as specified under the Environment

Protection Act. 1986

Sl. No. Area Typea Leq dB(A)

Day Timeb Night Time

c

1. Industrial Area 75 70

2. Commercial Area 65 55

3. Residential Area 55 45

4. Silence Zoned 50 40

a Mixed area should be declared as one of four aforesaid areas by the Competent Authority and

the corresponding limit is applied.

b Day time - 06.00 am to 10.00 pm

c Night time - 10.00 pm to 06.00 am

d Areas up to 100 metres around certain premises like Hospitals, Educational Institutions,

courts, religious places may be declared as Silence Zones by the Competent Authority. Honking

of vehicle horns, use of loudspeakers, bursting of crackers and hawkers’ noise should be banned

in these zones.

Details of different Noise monitoring stations

During Deepabali festival, Agartala, Udaipur, Dharmanagar and Ambassa citties are disturbed by

various sources of noise which has fatal effect on human being and their civilization. Hence, in

these years 2011-2015 during pre-Deepabali and Deepabali festival frequent noise monitoring

was done by TSPCB at various locations around these cities. All the monitoring stations are

listed in table 2.

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Table 2: A list of different Noise monitoring stations around the Agartala, Udaipur,

Dharmanagar and Ambassa cities during the years 2011-2015

City Location Latitude Longitude Category Of

Monitoring

Site

Standard

Value

Agartala

Asharam

Chowmuhani

91°18′068″E 23°50′130″N Commercial 55

Astabal 91°17′005″E 23°50′503″N Commercial 55

Battala 91°16′196″E 23°49′754″N Commercial 55

Durga

Chowmuhani

91°16′258″E 23°50′571″N Commercial 55

Netaji

Chowmuhani

91°16′702″E 23°49′634″N Commercial 55

A.D. Nagar 91°16′293″E 23°48′907″N Residential 45

Capital Complex 91°17′124″E 23°51′777″N Residential 45

Circuit House 91°17′027″E 23°51′029″N Residential 45

Indranagar 91°18′049″E 23°51′153″N Residential 45

G. B. Hospital 91°17′542″E 23°51′640″N Sensitive 40

I.G.M Hospital 91°16′592″E 23°49′894″N Sensitive 40

M.B.B. College 91°17′913″E 23°49′707″N Sensitive 40

Udaipur

Brahmabari 91°29′930″E 23°31′783″N Commercial 55

Bridge

Chowmuhani

91°28′963″E 23°32′621″N Residential 45

West Bank of

Amar Sagar

91°29′600″E 23°32′083″N Residential 45

Hospital area 91°29′582″E 23°32′164″N Sensitive 40

Tripureswari

Temple

91°29′860″E 23°30′556″N Sensitive 40

Dharmanagar

Railway Station 92°10′183″E 24°22′211″N Commercial 55

Dharmanagr

Circuit House

92°09′329″E 24°22′472″N Residential 45

SDM & Judges

Quarter

92°09′705″E 24°22′808″N Residential 45

D.N.

Vidyamandir

92°09′993″E 24°22′840″N Sensitive 40

Dharmanagr

Hospital

92°09′516″E 24°23′413″N Sensitive 40

Ambassa

Kulai District

Hospital

91°49′503″E 23°57′292″N Sensitive 40

Kulai Class XII

School

School

91°49′686″E 23°56′916″N Sensitive 40

Bhawaliya Basti 91°50′403″E 23°55′730″N Residential 45

Dalubari Gate 91°50′365″E 23°55′020″N Commercial 55

Ambassa Bazar 91°51′050″E 23°55′230″N Commercial 55

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A Trend Analysis of Noise Level in different stations during the years 2011-2015

Around the Agartala city 12 (twelve) stations were identified and selected for noise level monitoring as

these stations are most interrupted by public influences. All the collected data during the years 2011-2015

has been analysed and graphically represented in fig. 1 and fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows that during the years

2011-2015 in pre-Deepabali the Agartala city was affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the

years were higher than Corresponding standard values of those areas.

Fig 1: Noise level in the Agartala city in Pre-deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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On the other side Fig. 2 shows that during the years 2011-2015 in Deepabali the Agartala city was also

affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the years were higher as there were lots of vehicular

movement, burst out of firecrackers, polyphonic sound of programmes etc. But, in the year 2015 the noise

levels were too high, sometime it have gone to 82-87 db. In the year 2013 also values are showing quite

high.

Fig 2: Noise level in the Agartala city in Deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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Around the Udaipur city 5 (five) stations were identified and selected for noise level monitoring as these

stations are most interrupted by public influences. All the collected data during the years 2011-2015 has

been analysed and graphically represented in fig. 3 and fig. 4. Fig. 3 shows that during the years 2011-

2015 in pre-Deepabali the Udaipur city was affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the years

were higher than Corresponding standard values of those areas.

Fig 3: Noise level in the Udaipur city in Pre-deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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On the other side Fig. 4 shows that during the years 2011-2015 in Deepabali the Udaipur city

was also affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the years were higher as there were

lots of vehicular movement, burst out of firecrackers, polyphonic sound of programmes etc. But,

in the year 2013 the noise levels were too high, sometime it have gone to 75-77 db. In these

years values are also showing quite high at Tripureswari Temple.

Fig 4: Noise level in the Udaipur city in Deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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Around the Dharmanagar city 5 (five) stations were identified and selected for noise level monitoring as

these stations are most interrupted by public influences. All the collected data during the years 2011-2015

has been analysed and graphically represented in fig. 5 and fig. 6. Fig. 5 shows that during the years

2011-2015 in pre-Deepabali the Dharmanagar city was affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all

the years were higher than Corresponding standard values of those areas.

Fig 5: Noise level in the Dharmanagar city in Pre-deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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On the other side Fig. 6 shows that during the years 2011-2015 in Deepabali the Dharmanagar city was

also affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the years were higher as there were lots of

vehicular movement, burst out of firecrackers, polyphonic sound of programmes etc. But, in the year

2015 the noise levels were too high, sometime it have gone to 72-75 db. In the year 2014 values are also

showing quite high.

Fig 6: Noise level in the Dharmanagar city in Deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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Around the Ambassa city 5 (five) stations were identified and selected for noise level monitoring as these

stations are most interrupted by public influences. All the collected data during the years 2011-2015 has

been analysed and graphically represented in fig. 7 and fig. 8. Fig. 7 shows that during the years 2014-

2015 in pre-Deepabali the Ambassa city was affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the years

were higher than Corresponding standard values of those areas.

Fig 7: Noise level in the Ambassa city in Pre-deepabali during the years 2011-2015

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On the other side Fig. 8 shows that during the years 2014-2015 in Deepabali the Ambassa city was also

affected by noise pollution. The noise levels of all the years were higher as there were lots of vehicular

movement, burst out of firecrackers, polyphonic sound of programmes etc. But, in the year 2015 the noise

levels were too high, sometime it have gone to 82-87 db. In the year 2013 also values are showing quite

high.

Fig 8: Noise level in the Ambassa city in Deepabali during the years 2014-2015

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The bad effect of Noise Pollution

Noise is generally harmful and a serious health hazard. It has far-reaching consequences and has

many physical, physiological as well as psychological effects on human beings.

(i) Physical Effects:

The physical manifestation of noise pollution is the effect on hearing ability. Repeated exposure

to noise may result in temporary or permanent shifting of the hearing threshold of a person

depending upon the level and duration of exposure. The immediate and acute effect of noise

pollution is impairment of hearing (i.e. total deafness.)

Human ears have sensory cells for hearing. If these cells are subjected to repeated sounds of high

intensity before they have an opportunity to recover fully, they can become permanently

damaged leading to impairment of hearing. Besides the sensory cells, the delicate tympanic

membrane or the ear drum can also be permanently damaged by a sudden loud noise such as an

explosion.

(ii) Physiological Effects:

The physiological manifestations of noise pollution are several as mentioned below:

(a) Headache by dilating blood vessels of the brain.

(b) Increase in the rate of heart-beat.

(c) Narrowing of arteries.

(d) Fluctuations in the arterial blood pressure by increasing the level of cholesterol in the blood.

(e) Decrease in heart output.

(f) Pain in the heart.

(g) Digestive spasms through anxiety and dilation of the pupil of the eye, thereby causing eye-

strain.

(h) Impairment of night vision.

(i) Decrease in the rate of colour perception.

(j) Lowering of concentration and affect on memory,

(k) Muscular strain and nervous breakdown.

(l) Psychological Effect

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The psychological manifestations of noise pollution are:

(a) Depression and fatigue which considerably reduces the efficiency of a person.

(b) Insomnia as a result of lack of undisturbed and refreshing sleep

(c) Straining of senses and annoyance as a result of slow but persistent noise from motorcycles, alarm

clocks, call bells, telephone rings etc.

(d) Affecting of psychomotor performance of a person by a sudden loud sound

(e) Emotional disturbance

For a talkative person, the most important effect of noise pollution would invariably be that noise

interferes with our conservation. So, noise is annoying and the annoyance depends on many

factors not merely the intensity of the sound but also repetition, because even a sound of small

intensity (e.g. dripping tap or clicking of clock) may become annoying, simply by repetition.

Table 3: Noise Pollution Level and its Harmful Effects

Sl No. Noise Level (in db) Effects

01. up to 23 No disturbance

02. 30—60 Stress, tension, psychological (illness, heart attack) effects

especially at upper range.

03. 60—90 Damage to health, psychological and vegetative

(disturbance in stomach-gall function, pains in muscles,

high blood pressure, disturbance in sleeping)

04. 60—120 Damages to health and ontological (ear diseases) effects

05. Above 120 Painful effects in long run.

What we can do to Stop Noise pollution

Noise pollution can be effectively controlled by taking the following measures:

(1) Control at Receiver’s End:

For people working in noisy installations, ear-protection aids like ear-plugs, ear-muffs, noise

helmets, headphones etc. must be provided to reduce occupational exposure.

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(2) Suppression of Noise at Source:

This is possible if working methods are improved by:

(a) Designing, fabricating and using quieter machines to replace the noisy ones.

(b) Proper lubrication and better maintenance of machines.

(c) Installing noisy machines in sound proof chambers.

(d) Covering noise-producing machine parts with sound-absorbing materials to check noise

production.

(e) Reducing the noise produced from a vibrating machine by vibration damping i.e. making a

layer of damping material (rubber, neoprene, cork or plastic) beneath the machine.

(f) Using silencers to control noise from automobiles, ducts, exhausts etc. and convey systems

with ends opening into the atmosphere.

(g) Using glass wool or mineral wool covered with a sheet of perforated metal for the purpose of

mechanical protection.

(3) Acoustic Zoning:

Increased distance between source and receiver by zoning of noisy industrial areas, bus terminals

and railway stations, aerodromes etc. away from the residential areas would go a long way in

minimizing noise pollution. There should be silence zones near the residential areas, educational

institutions and above all, near hospitals.

(4) Sound Insulation at Construction Stages:

(a) Sound travels through the cracks that get left between the door and the wall. For reducing

noise, this space (jamb frame gap) should be packed with sound absorbing material.

(b) Sound insulation can be done by constructing windows with double or triple panes of glass

and filling the gaps with sound absorbing materials.

(c) Acoustical tiles, hair felt, perforated plywood etc. can be fixed on walls, ceilings, floors etc.

to reduce noise (especially for sound proof recording rooms etc.)

(5) Planting of Trees:

Planting green trees and shrubs along roads, hospitals, educational institutions etc. help in noise

reduction to a considerable extent.

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(6) Legislative Measures:

Strict legislative measures need to be enforced to curb the menace of noise pollution. Some

of these measures could be:

(a) Minimum use of loudspeakers and amplifiers especially near silence zones.

(b) Banning pressure horns in automobiles.

(c) Framing a separate Noise Pollution Act.

The Tripureswari temple of Tripura is one of the 51 pithasthans and well renowned for

Deepabali festival hence, during this festival the whole state becomes a place of enjoyment,

gathering, charming, delightedness, orchestra, dance program and many more. As a result the

whole environment is getting polluted and become noisy. Looking after this situation for many

years TSPCB has been conducting noise monitoring at different stations around the major cities

in Tripura. In this report the measured noise level during the years 2011-2015 at the major cities

(Agartala, Udaipur, Dharmanagar, Ambassa) during Deepabali and Pre-deepabali are

summarized and also yearly noise level have been tried to figure out. As there were lot of human,

vehicular interaction and also various programs have been observed, so there was a bad effect of

noise pollution on human health so a trend analysis has been done to find out the yearly

fluctuation of noise level at different stations around the major cities.

The report says that, in the Agartala city, during

pre-Deepabali in the year 2011 the noise level at some stations are below the CPCB standard

limit but remaining all the years the noise level goes higher than the standard limit. On the other

side, during Deepabali all the monitoring stations are subjected to noise pollution throughout the

analysed period (2011-2015). But in the city of temple, Udaipur the scenery was different. Here

in Deepabali and Pre-Deepabali day all the stations were noisy, especially in Tripureswari temple

noise level was very high during pre-Deepabali and Deepabali day in all the years. In

Dharmanagar city during pre-deepabali almost all the stations were noisy except Railway

stations and Circuit House which were pollution free in the year 2013, 2014 and 2015. But

during Deepabali all the stations were prompted to noise pollution. In Ambassa, the headquarter

of Dhalai district monitoring was only done in the year 2014 and 2015 which shows that Kulai

District Hospital was pollution free both the year during Pre-Deepabali and Deepabali. But

remaining stations were polluted in both the monitoring period.