PUNE: After recording a high sound levels between 90.4 decibel to 114.5 decibel for seven consecutive years, this year, Pune has recorded a low decible level on the Ganesh immersion (visarjan) day.
This year, the noise pollution has dropped from the above given bracket to an average record of 86.2 decibel.
Last year, it was recorded 90.4 decibel, reducing it by 4 decibels this time.
A group of 20 students from College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) participated in the sound measurement exercise during the immersion procession.
The sound measurements were taken at 10 chowks including Belbaug Chowk (Samadhan), Ganpati Chowk (Kavare Cold Drinks), Limbaraj Maharaj Chowk, Kunte Chowk, Umbrya Ganpati Chowk, Bhausaheb Gokhale Chowk, Shedge Vithoba Chowk (Vijay Talkies.), Holkar Chowk, Lokmanya Tilak Chowk (Alka Talkies) and Khanduji Baba Chowk.
“First and foremost point was that due to restrictions on the use of speakers, many mandals preferred traditional equipments like dhol-tasha. Also few among them had avoided DJs. This has significantly helped reduce the sound pollution,” said Assistant Professor in biology department of College of Engineering, Pune Mahesh Shindikar, who had volunteered and headed the group of students in the sound measurement exercise.
“Also, the police had issued strict instructions that music should be stopped after Thursday midnight and most of the mandals have abided the rules and regulations issued by them,” added Shindikar.
Pune police department had imposed strict rules for regulating noise pollution on the immersion day. One of them was use of only four speakers.
