Mumbai: BMC To Fix Noisy Roads, Plans Sound Barriers On Old Flyovers To Combat Noise Pollution

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formed a committee to carry out a survey on noise pollution caused by vehicular traffic.

The plan to set up sound barriers is part of the civic body's Development Plan 2034, under which all bridges and flyovers shall be made soundproof to tackle noise pollution in the city.

The civic body is also exploring the possibility of setting up these barriers on roads that pass through densely populated regions.

The committee constituted by BMC comprises engineers from the roads and bridges department. The report is expected to be submitted in the next one month. After that, the civic authorities will finalise the number of flyovers that will have the system.

Based on noise readings, the civic body will install noise barriers on all flyovers in Mumbai, which have been constructed before 2017 and fall under the civic body’s purview. 

While there is no compulsory regulation for installing sound barriers on flyovers in Mumbai, all new flyovers and road-over-bridges built by the civic body after 2018 are equipped with noise barriers.

Mumbai's civic body will draw a priority list for setting up these barriers. To start with, it would prioritise setting up noise barriers on bridges that have schools and hospitals in close proximity.

Research has shown that sustained exposure to loud noise can cause serious health issues, including chronic sleep disruption, permanent hearing loss, and even heart attacks. 

The World Health Organisation recommends an average of 53 decibels or lower for road traffic noise exposure and less than 45 decibels for night noise exposure.