All’s not honky dory

Exposure to a powerful sound can harm you in many ways. You could lose your hearing, sleep and even your balance of mind, reports Jatin Anand.

Exposure to a powerful sound can harm you in many ways. You could lose your hearing, sleep and even your balance of mind.

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Measured in decibels (dB), sound does not become intrusive ‘noise’ till about 55dB. And 120dB is the maximum sound a human being can stand momentarily. It — 120 dB — is termed the threshold of pain for hearing.

Where can you encounter such a loud noise in Delhi? Anywhere.

The average Delhi driver loves honking, and horns are dangerously loud. Even the ‘normal’ electric horn, as opposed to a ‘pressure horn’, produces 105 to 120 dB.

It’s a full-scale and relentless torture, and one that you have probably inflicted as often as you have borne it.