Vikas Nagar loudest on Diwali night | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Diwali celebrations came with a deafening cost for residents of Vikas Nagar, which emerged as the noisiest among four locations monitored in Lucknow, recording an average noise level of 90.3 decibels on Diwali night on Sunday.The reading was more than double the permissible night-time limit of 45 decibels for residential areas prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).According to the Diwali survey conducted by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Vikas Nagar was followed by Aminabad, which recorded 86.5 decibels, Aliganj at 85.3 decibels and Chowk at 85.2 decibels. Even the lowest reading, recorded at Chowk, was considerably higher than the permissible night-time limit of 55 decibels for commercial areas.The institute monitored noise levels at two residential locations — Aliganj and Vikas Nagar — and two commercial areas, Aminabad and Chowk. The readings were taken during the night between 8 pm and midnight for approximately 20 minutes at each location. The average noise level across all four locations stood at 86.8 decibels on Diwali night, compared with 73.4 decibels on the pre-Diwali night.A comparison with daytime readings also revealed the impact of Diwali celebrations. The average daytime noise level on Diwali was 73 decibels, against 73.7 decibels before the festival. However, the sharpest rise was recorded at night, when firecracker bursting pushed noise levels significantly higher.The report cautioned that exposure to high noise levels can cause temporary or permanent hearing impairment. It also listed health effects such as irritation, stress, hypertension, headaches, sleep disturbance and hearing loss. Firecracker noise can also aggravate respiratory problems, including asthma and bronchitis.The IITR report recommended restricting firecracker bursting to a two-hour window, from 8 pm to 10 pm, and designating specific zones in open spaces away from densely populated residential areas. It also called for promoting certified green crackers, enforcing strict action against illegal firecracker manufacturing and sales, and prohibiting cracker bursting on roads, highways and in silence zones. The institute stressed the need for public awareness campaigns and effective monitoring to ensure compliance with restrictions.