EVALUATION OF NOISE LEVEL AND POSSIBLE MITIGATION MEASURES FOR THE SELECTED AREAS OF RAWALPINDI AND ISLAMABAD PAKISTAN

Abstract

Environmental noise is one of the most unpredictable pollutant which adversely affects the physical and mental health of humans. Environmental noise consists of all the unwanted sounds except noise from the workplace. It is more severe, extensive and aggressive spread than ever before, and it continues to enhance because of population growth, urbanization, and the associated growth in the use of increasingly powerful, diverse, and highly mobile sources of noise. In this study, noise levels were recorded during daytime from six different locations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. The purpose was to evaluate the noise levels and corresponding noise intensities with the variation of seasonal and meteorological factors. The noise levels were recorded with a calibrated digital sound level meter and corresponding sound intensity levels were calculated. Temperature and humidity values at all locations were also recorded. Data was recorded from morning 7am till night 10pm in four different time slots and 84 readings were recorded from each location. Over all data was recorded for a sevenmonth time period. The average noise level recorded from selected locations 6th road, Pirwadahi, Raja-bazar, Faizabad Rawalpindi, I-9/3 sector Islamabad and Karachi company Islamabad were 71.0, 85.5, 83.7, 79.9, 75.7 and 69.5 dB respectively. The result of the study revealed that the noise levels of all the locations exceeded the prescribed limits of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS). A trend of increasing noise levels during summer was observed with increasing humidity levels. Significant variation of noise levels was observed diurnally and season wise between winter and summer months. In order to control and reduce the noise pollution from the selected locations proper counter measures should be taken by the authorities.