Cacophony In Delhi

By Navamika Ragesh

The point I started to write is, when my ideas clashed with this headline . 

Sure ,festive seasons are the onset point of pollution in a city .But what if the city is already in ruins with its unregulated traffic and noises .

My visit to Delhi was very exciting . The Indira Gandhi International airport and its vastness itself amused me .On my way ,from the airport to hotel ,I saw over thousands of cars on the road at 3:30am and it made me baffled . In Kerala , at least in my city , this is the time when everyone sleeps. Delhi is live , day and night .The buzzing city life caught my attention but expecting traffic at that hour was quite annoying.

The next day me and my family set out to explore the city . We were in an Innova car , and inside it somehow felt comfortable as the car shielded us from excruciating   noise coming from the other vehicles .

We saw the India gate , Lotus temple ,Rajghat, The parliament house of India and what not . It was just like witnessing  the beautiful pictures in my grade 6 social science textbook . 

At night ,mummy wanted to shop , so we took an auto ride to see shopping spots .That was when the true picture came to my eyes ,in fact I should say ears . I couldn't give rest to my ears as the loud honking noises of the vehicles kept going on and on. I looked outside to see why these people were honking in the first place. Even when waiting at traffic halt points , or when the vehicles move a little slower than usual ,vehicles give out  a hundred honks that could break your eardrum for good . I think that they are accustomed to keep honking like that even when there is no reason to .

But thankfully, from what I’ve seen , usually settlement places are quite  far from the city or close to Noida . Otherwise I can’t imagine sleeping there even for a night . 

Awesome place to stay and work .All luxury stores and high end facilities are available. Highly developed ,metropolitan city . Yet I think ,there should be more civilization to the traffic here and pollution . We need to come up with solutions to  stop the noise pollution. 

  1. Urban Planning and Infrastructure

• Create green buffers: Plant trees and shrubs along roads, highways, and near industrial areas — vegetation absorbs and deflects sound.

• Install noise barriers: Use soundproof walls or acoustic barriers along major roads, railways, and construction zones.

• Zoning regulations: Separate residential areas from industrial and commercial zones; enforce noise zoning limits.

• Promote silent zones: Establish silence zones around hospitals, schools, and residential areas with strict noise limits.

2. Traffic and Transportation Control

• Encourage public transport: Fewer vehicles mean less honking and engine noise.

• Maintain vehicles properly: Regular servicing reduces engine and exhaust noise.

• Ban or limit honking: Enforce anti-honking campaigns and penalties for unnecessary horn use.

• Use better road surfaces: Smooth asphalt reduces tire and engine noise compared to rough concrete roads.

• Electric vehicles (EVs): Promote EVs and hybrids — they’re much quieter than fuel-powered cars.

3. Industrial and Construction Noise Management

• Regulate working hours: Restrict noisy construction work to daytime hours.

• Soundproof machinery: Install silencers, mufflers, or enclosures around noisy equipment.

• Adopt quieter technologies: Encourage industries to use low-noise machinery and tools.

• Monitor industrial noise: Use sensors and periodic checks to ensure compliance with permissible limits.

 4. Building Design and Materials

• Soundproofing: Use double-glazed windows, thick curtains, and acoustic panels in buildings.

• Proper insulation: Design homes with sound-absorbing materials (e.g., cork, foam, or fiber panels).

• Orientation of buildings: Position bedrooms and living spaces away from main roads or noise sources.

 5. Law Enforcement and Policy

• Strict enforcement: Enforce laws under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 (in India, for example).

• Regular monitoring: Deploy noise meters at traffic junctions and construction zones.

• Noise mapping: Use city-wide noise mapping to identify high-risk areas and plan interventions.

 6. Public Awareness and Behavioural Changes

• Campaigns: Educate citizens about the health hazards of noise pollution.

• Community initiatives: Encourage neighborhoods to monitor and report excessive noise.

• Personal habits: Avoid loudspeakers, car horns, and loud music, especially at night.

7. Technological and Innovative Measures

• Smart traffic lights: Synchronize traffic flow to reduce honking.

• Acoustic materials in roads: Develop noise-absorbing pavements.

• Noise sensors: Integrate IoT-based monitoring to identify and penalize sources automatically.

However far we choose to go forward ,it shouldn’t be at the cost of disrupting peace of mind and body . Hence lets take  a moment and think next time we honk .

By Navamika Ragesh