In a step towards reducing noise pollution in the city, the civic body has now ordered a noise-mapping survey for the city. As a part of it, noise levels at various locations across the city and data on noise patterns will be recorded.

The move by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) comes after several concerns were raised in the past year over the din in the city. Hindustan Times had conducted a campaign urging citizens to say no to noise pollution, and itself recorded noise levels during various festivals. The BMC’s environment status report (ESR) last year had recorded very high levels of noise in the city.

According to the Expression of Interest floated by the BMC, a private firm will be appointed to conduct a series of studies to record the noise levels at various locations and at various times in the day. Civic officials said the study will begin in a month’s time and should be completed in two months.

The civic body already conducts drives to keep track of noise in different parts of the city and suburbs. It has, however, failed to take any substantial steps to curtail the menace a fact that contributed to scepticism over this new move as well.

 “For us to take any major steps against noise pollution, we need credible data to back our actions. Hence, this study will give us exactly what we need,” said Mohan Adtani, additional municipal commissioner.

Adtani said the same company will also be told to suggest measures to mitigate noise pollution in areas that the study shows as being severely affected.