ASSESSMENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE POLLUTION IN URBAN CITY BY NOISE MAPPING

Abstract

Traffic noise over the years has become one of the hazardous pollutants affecting the human life in urban areas. There has been an exponential growth of human population which has caused substantial rise in the vehicle ownership along with rapid urbanization and industrialization, which is known to cause high noise levels in Indian cities. In urban areas, industrial, commercial and transportation sector contribute 75% in total noise pollution. In transportation sector itself road traffic noise contributes to 75% to the total noise pollution. The analysis of noise levels in the city of Delhi is done by developing noise maps with the help of GIS (Geographic Information System). After data analysis, it was observed that the measured ambient noise levels at all the locations were violating the prescribed limits that has been set by CPCB. Also, the traffic noise level was observed to be much more during the evening time as compared to morning time at all the locations. During the morning peak hours i.e. from 8 am to 10 am, the road traffic noise level was found to be maximum at Badli crossing, having noise level between 78.09 dB(A)-78.84 dB(A). Whereas, at Patel nagar chowk the noise level was found to be minimum with values between 71.35 dB(A)-72.10 dB(A). For the off-peak hours i.e. from 12pm to 2pm, the road traffic noise level was found to be maximum at Paharganj chowk, the noise level obtained in this region has a value between vi

72.36 dB(A)-73.26 dB(A). Whereas at Shastri park and K.G & Tolstoy Marg the value is between 64.25 dB(A)-65.15 dB(A). During the evening peak hours i.e. from 5pm to 7pm, the road traffic noise level was minimum at Shastri park and K.G & Tolstoy Marg respectively with the noise levels between 74.10 dB(A)-74.81 dB(A). The maximum noise level value was obtained at Peeragarhi chowk and Badli crossing respectively for the evening peak hour duration noise level obtained was between 80.42 dB(A)-81.12 dB(A). It is observed that the vehicular noise contributes significantly in noise generation at all the locations of study. The noise levels are found to be in proportion to the vehicular population. The ambient noise level standards have been violated at every locations during the peak and off peak hours. The noise level values obtained from the developed noise maps gives very close results to the measured values. Percentage difference between the predicted noise level and the monitored noise level is found to be between 4% to 7%. Noise maps can be used to evaluate and observe the influence of noise effects in urban cities thus playing an important role to curb noise pollution.