Excessive honking deafening hyderabad city

Hyderabad: The Traffic Police Hyderabad has taken up an extensive drive to catch irregular honkers and violators across the city. Consequently, the number has risen after National Green Tribunal Laws and District Pollution Control Board emphasized the cops to book more violation cases.

Speaking to The Hans India, Anil Kumar, Additional CP (Traffic) said, "The primary cause of honking is impatient motorists who lack traffic sense. It is due to the indiscriminate honking by drivers even when they see that traffic is moving slowly that stress levels increase."

He further added, "Besides this the engines of vehicles that are stuck in slow traffic produce a louder sound and many two-wheelers use the toned horn and modified silencers that also add up to the noise pollution. Poorly maintained engines to add to the noise pollution."

According to recorded data by the TSPCB, the noise level recordings in the busy commercial areas of Abids, Paradise, JNTU and RC Puram are around 71.5 dB in the day time and 68.9 dB during nights against the permissible limit of 65.0 dB in the daytime and 55.0 dB during nights. The noise-level recordings at residential areas of Jubilee Hills and Tarnaka are around 61.9 dB in the day time and 54.9 in nighttime against the permissible limit of 55.0 dB during day and 45.0 dB in the nights. 

Don't horn, pleaaase!

1. Traffic police have four sound level meters, each costing `2.49 lakh
2. Metres are at Saifabad, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Mahakali Traffic PS
3. Permissible decibel limit for honking by two-wheelers is 80 dB.
4. For four-wheelers and commercial vehicles, it is 82 to 85 dB
5. 70% of noise pollution violations are by two-wheelers
6. They are found to be using modified silencers and multi-toned horns

NEW ACT SEES RED AT HONKERS

Noise pollution can be booked under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act. After the new laws of Motor Vehicles Act if someone is booked they will be charged Rs 10,000. However, as Telangana State is not implementing the new laws, the traffic rule violators are booked and charged Rs 1,000.

HOW MUCH HONKING ALLOWED

1. Permissible limits for honking are 65.0 dB during daytime and 55.0 dB during night
2. For residential areas, noise levels shouldn't exceed 55 dB during day and 45 dB in night