Journal of Environmental Biology

A preliminary assessment of noise level during

Deepawali festival in Balasore, India

Shreerup Goswami^1*, Bijay Kumar Swain², Hara Prasad Mohapatra³?and Kshirod Kumar Bal⁴

¹Department of Geology, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack-753 003, India

²Department of Environmental Science, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751 004, India

³Department of Zoology, Kaptipada College, Kaptipada, Mayurbhanja-757 040, India

⁴Meteorological Center, India Meteorological Department, Bhubaneswar-751 020, India

*Corresponding Author email : goswamishreerup@gmail.com

 Publication Data

Paper received:

08 April 2012

Revised received:

15 November 2012

Re-revised received:

25 December 2012

Accepted:

25 January 2013

Abstract

A preliminary assessment of noise levels during Deepawali, was made in the present study. In order to assess the situation of noise levels in and around Balasore during two consecutive Deepawali of the year 2010 and 2011; noise monitoring was carried out in three different specified times (4:30-7:00 p.m., 7:00-10:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m.-1:00 a.m.). Noise descriptors such as L₁₀, L₅₀, L₉₀, L_eq, noise pollution level and noise climate were assessed to reveal the extent of noise pollution in this festival of crackers. Permissible limit of noise levels (L_eq) prescribed by WHO during the festival was 100 dB and Lmax must not exceed 110 dB during such occasion. However, in all the cases Lmax and NPL values exceeded 110 dB, while Leq values ranged from 92.9 to 101.9 dB during 2010 Deepawali and? 81.5 to 100.8 dB during 2011 Deepawali. On the other hand, all the noise monitoring sites belonged to residential areas. The assessed noise levels during such festivity are much more than 55/45 dB i.e. prescribed for residential areas for day/night time by CPCB. However, it was observed that the noise of Deepawali (Leq) decreased considerably and was less during 2011 than 2010. These may be due to increased environmental awareness among the public. Subsequently, the people of Balasore prefered to celebrate Deepawali, the festival of lights without sound and smoke. Noise policy should also be worked out for a better understanding of such local, social and cultural festivals in which annoyance arise.

Key words

Crackers, Deepawali festival, Noise descriptors, Noise pollution

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