UNEP report wrong, Moradabad not 2nd noisiest globally, says UPPCB official

MORADABAD: With "114 decibels", Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad has been ranked as the world’s "second most noisiest city", as per the latest Annual Frontier Report 2022 published by the

United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP). However, an official at the state pollution control board in Moradabad dismissed the

UNEP

report as "wrong".

Vikas Mishra, regional officer (RO) of pollution control board in Moradabad, told TOI: "There are no sensors installed by UNEP to measure such data here and we did not receive any information about such monitoring. As per our monitoring, it is usually 60 to 70 decibels in the district."

Incidentally, Moradabad is also known as the country's "brass hub". The noise emanating from the countless brass factories is sometimes deafening. The city and its surrounding areas are also dotted with several other small and big factories, mainly dealing with metals. Locals said there are over 1,000 small and large units in and around the city.

Sounds of hammer, machines and other equipment can be heard from early in the morning. As per locals, high frequency machines are used here for processing and punching of metal sheets, cutting metal articles and polishing.

But Mishra said that it "doesn't matter if the noise comes out from factories as long as it is inside the premises of the manufacturing unit". "We monitor outdoor residential, commercial, industrial and silent zone areas. Only noise pollution in public areas are monitored," the pollution control board official added.

Local residents though tell a different story. Besides factories, use of hydraulic horns by cars, buses and trucks in busy lanes are a constant nuisance, locals said, adding that some vehicles frequently flout norms in the city's designated silent zones like Court Road. Numerous construction sites, DJs at weddings and unawareness among people are also contributing to the high decibels, locals further said. Also, noise emanating from the city bus terminus is sometimes unbearable, as per residents of the area.

According to doctors, residents, mainly the children and the elderly, are the ultimate "victims" of noise pollution. Dr Gitesh Manik, cardiologist at a renowned city hospital, said, "There are basically two medical conditions. One is parasympathetic when the body is normal and listens to low music and relaxes. However, the other is sympathetic which basically happens with the people working inside noisy factories or listening to high DJs. If you measure the BP of a factory worker or the person standing near the DJ, their BP will be more than that of a normal person and this consecutive rise in BP automatically leads to cardiovascular disease."

Manik added: "We cannot shut the industries, but we can manage the working style of people. Work should be divided into shifts. The section of workers working in noisy areas should be given tasks to perform in quieter places the next day."

As per the UNEP report which was posted on its website on February 17, Dhaka tops the list with 119 decibels, while Islamabad is third (105 decibels). Four other Indian cities — Delhi, Kolkata, Asansol and Jaipur — also featured on the list of 61 noisy cities worldwide in 2021.