(a) whether people have suffered hearing loss/ear disorders due to noise pollution including DJ and other high decibel audio systems;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to formulate a new policy to check noise pollution; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) & (b) Various reports indicate that people can have adverse impact on the hearing capacity leading to hearing loss / ear disorders besides other impacts on the health including sleep disturbance, stress, hypertension etc. due to noise pollution including DJ and other high decibel audio systems.
(c)& (d) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate has notified Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 for regulation and control of noise pollution and its impact on health. These Rules relate to restrictions relating to use of loudspeakers, public address systems and other sound producing systems. In addition, it also prescribes standards for various land use areas such as industrial, commercial, residential and silence zone. Amendments are considered from time to time. Norms to check noise pollution mainly relate to prescribed standards with respect to these land use categories which are 75, 65, 55 and 59 dB(A) during day time and 70, 50, 45 and 40 dB(A) during night time for industrial area, commercial area, residential area and silent zone respectively. Central Pollution Control Board in association with State Pollution Control Boards has established National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network in 07 metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad to monitor and check the pollution level. Government has not proposed to formulate new policy to check noise pollution.
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