People who need maximum protection from noise were often most exposed to the deafening sound of banned firecrackers, a survey on Diwali night revealed.
The Telegraph joined a team from Sabuj Mancha — a citizens’ initiative to address environment issues — that visited three hospitals in Kolkata from 8pm to 10.30pm and experienced first-hand the decibel assault on patients.
“It is extremely unfortunate. We visited a number of hospitals and found that the noise level in most was much above the permissible level. There was deafening noise all around,” said Naba Dutta, secretary of Sabuj Mancha.
At the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a decibel meter reading at 8.30pm was 78.
Till 10pm, the limit in a silent zone (all hospitals and the immediate vicinity are silent zones) is 45 decibel. Post-10pm, it is 40 decibel.
An increase in the noise level by every 10 decibel doubles the pressure on the eardrum, according to experts studying noise pollution.
This newspaper spoke to relatives of many patients admitted to RG Kar hospital. Most of them said the deafening sound of firecrackers started at 8pm and the frequency went up as the night progressed.
When this newspaper contacted Tallah police station, in whose area falls RG Kar hospital, an officer said: “A fire has broken out in this area. Most of our attention is focussed on that. However, we are also looking into the allegations (of noise-norm violation in silent zones).”
Dutta, of Sabuj Mancha, said: “Every now and then, the reading (at RG Kar) shot up to 80 decibel.”
The team next visited the BC Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences in Kankurgachhi, where no noise-monitoring device has been installed by the PCB. But around 9pm, it was hardly needed.
The noise norm violations were there for everyone to hear. If anything, the frequency and intensity of the violations were much more than what were experienced at RG Kar.
At the NRS Medical College and Hospital, the decibel reading on private apps on phones were frequently upwards of 75 around 10pm.
Rajesh Kumar, member-secretary of the PCB, promised to look into the matter after the Mancha alerted him.
The Supreme Court has banned the use of all kinds of crackers except green crackers, which reduce the emission of particulate matters by 30 per cent compared to conventional fireworks. Calcutta High Court, too, issued a similar order on October 11, 2022: “There shall be a complete ban on the sale and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers, except green crackers, in the state of West Bengal.
According to the court order, green firecrackers can be burst only for two hours on Diwali night, from 8pm.