Noise ATMs to curb honking in Maharashtra cities
The institution has been working on the machines ever since its study discovered that honking adds up to five decibels to noise pollution.
Mumbai: To regulate noise pollution caused by vehicles, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will soon launch noise ATMs to curb the honking menace in the cities of Maharashtra.
These first-of-their-kind machines will be initially installed in Mumbai and Nagpur and will check the number of times any driver honks and limit the intensity of sound emanating from the honking.
The institution has been working on the machines ever since its study discovered that honking adds up to five decibels to noise pollution.
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, in its noise-mapping report across 27 cities of Maharashtra, stated that there is need to develop a system and device, which can reduce the intensity of honking from vehicles.
“Noise ATMs act as a signal that can be installed in vehicles. The sensor will not allow a vehicle to exceed the number of times it is permitted to honk. A signal will come up on the dashboard or will be transmitted via the network to the traffic department as violation,” said Dr Ritesh Vijay, principal scientist and head, NEERI- Mumbai zone.
Dr Vijay added that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will approve the project, following which it will be launched in Mumbai.
Elaborating on the ways to reduce noise from traffic, he said, “Unnecessary honking should be avoided and penalised, however this requires innovation in identifying and taking action. Movement of vehicles without silencers such as bikes and cars should be regulated during the day and night.”
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute also maintained that honking must be restricted in silence zones, especially near hospitals and educational institutes. “The upper limit of the noise range for the horn should be capped at 100 dB instead of the current 112dB,” NEERI noted.