Hyderabad gets noisier than ever

Several 'sensitive', residential and industrial areas across city make their way up in noise pollution drastically.

Hyderabad: Till a couple of decades ago, Gachibowli was known for its quietude and salubrious environs. Now this ‘sensitive’ pocket of the city is a metamorphosed one with bustling activity and endless stream of vehicles, making it one of the noisiest zones of Hyderabad.

For the last six years, noise levels here starting to rise above stipulated limits. This year till November, Gachibowli saw the decibel (dB) levels, the units in which noise pollution is measured, make their way up drastically.

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In January, the daytime noise level at Gachibowli was 59.57 dB against the acceptable range of 50 dB. By the end of November, the noise level in the same area was 64.25 dB. During the second week, it reached 66.83 dB, almost the ‘commercial areas’ standard decibel level, as against its ‘sensitive’ zoning.

Even the night time noise level at Gachibowli has crossed 55 dB and even touched almost 65 dB against the acceptable range of 40 dB in the past few months.

Even the Nehru Zoological Park area, another sensitive zone, is now among the nosiest localities in the city. The decibel levels here have been steadily increasing since March, and the number touched 70 dB during nights in recent months.

Residential areas, too, are registering an increase in noise levels. The daytime noise level at Jubilee Hills during November was 68.43 dB, while night time noise level in the area was 71.74 dB. Similarly, the noise pollution has reached 64.96 dB during the day and 56.53 dB at night in Tarnaka, while the acceptable noise levels of both areas during the day are 55 dB, and at night it is 45 dB.

According to Dr. Shakuntala Ghosh, an ENT Specialist, constant exposure to 85 dB or more of sound could even lead to hearing loss. “People may also complain of frequent headaches, irritability, lack of concentration, sleep disturbance, and auditory fatigue due to the continuous exposure to loud sounds. Prevention is using protective earplugs or ear muffs at work or in noisy surroundings. Early detection can stall the damage and prevent deafness,” she adds.

Meanwhile, before August, Abids was also one of the noisiest areas in the State capital. That situation flipped like a switch, with the ever-buzzing locality now less affected by noise pollution. As per the noise pollution report by Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), in November, the noise levels here remained less than 60 dB during the day and night, whereas the acceptable range is up to 65 dB and 55 dB, respectively.

To measure noise pollution, TSPCB divided the city into various zones, including residential (Jubilee Hills and Tarnaka), commercial (Abids and JNTU), industrial (Sanathnagar, Jeedimetla, and Gaddapotharam), and sensitive (Zoo Park and Gachibowli). The acceptable daytime and nighttime decibel levels of an area depend on its kind of zone.