Hyderabad: Drastic drop in noise pollution levels at Abids

According to TSPCB, noise levels in Abids are much below the standard mark for nine days of March

Hyderabad: Have been to or been around Abids centre recently? Did you realise that the usually busy decades-old commercial hub has suddenly gone quiet these days?
According to the noise pollution monitoring of the area, the central business district has been recording lesser and lesser noise levels in the recent days.

The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) has reported that noise levels in the area have been much below the standard mark for the nine days of March. The permissible limits for noise pollution during the day and night are 65 dB and 55 dB respectively, but the levels recorded at this commercial area were as low as 30 dB or below that during day and night time.

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On March 1, the day Leq (equivalent continuous sound level) was 27.31 dB, and the night was 25.22 dB, and the same trend followed for the next eight days.

The sound levels in Abids have always been high, crossing the standard mark. However, in recent months, they have been consistently dropping, leaving the residents pleasantly surprised. Since August 2022, the average Leq was hovering around 50 dB and 58 dB.

And, as if by magic, the noise levels have taken a still sharper turn this month, and so far, have dropped to a level that the area perhaps has not seen in a long time. While the reasons for this sudden drop in noise pollution levels are still unclear, the residents are hopeful that this trend will continue.