PPCB to map and mitigate noise pollution in Ludhiana, Amritsar

The board is presently working on the tendering process for roping in a firm for mapping noise pollution, identifying hotspots and preparing a plan for controlling noise pollution.

Working on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has started a project to map and mitigate noise pollution in Ludhiana and Amritsar.

Noise pollution

It is being done for the first time and the board is presently working on the tendering process for roping in a firm for mapping noise pollution, identifying hotspots and preparing a plan for controlling noise pollution.

The board officials said the PPCB had already been measuring noise pollution, but it was done on specific occasions such as Diwali, etc, or when the board received a complaint against any factory.

As Ludhiana is an industrial hub, rising noise pollution has been a major concern for residents with lakhs of vehicles moving on city roads.

Under the new project, hotspots would be identified and a comprehensive report prepared after conducting a survey for dealing with noise pollution in both the cities.

PPCB member secretary Krunesh Garg said, “The project will be initiated at the ground level soon and the board is currently working on the tendering process for roping in a firm. Noise pollution mapping has not been done in the cities in the past and after dealing with the problem in these two cities, the board would cover other cities in the state.”