Bengaluru's silence zones among city's noisiest areas, reveals data
Bengaluru: Areas designated as 'silence zones' in Bengaluru, primarily around hospitals and educational institutions, have emerged as some of the noisiest pockets in the city, often recording sound levels far exceeding permissible limits, especially during night hours.
According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s (KSPCB) May data, cited by The New Indian Express, the RVCE Mysore Road zone recorded night-time noise levels of 57.8 decibel (dB), exceeding the legal limit by 44.5%, while the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (NIMHANS) zone showed a 29% rise above permissible levels.
Ironically, even the KSPCB’s regional office complex at SG Halli, categorised under a residential category, showed one of the sharpest violations, with a 61.8% spike in noise levels at night.
Meanwhile, industrial zones like Peenya and Whitefield, typically assumed to be high-noise areas, were found to be compliant with noise regulations.
Between February and April this year, average night-time readings at silence zones like NIMHANS and RVCE Mysore Road hovered between 61 and 64 dB(A) — over 50% higher than permitted levels. RVCE even peaked at 70.3 dB(A), while NIMHANS recorded levels ranging from 56 to 63 dB(A). These areas are meant to remain quiet due to their proximity to hospitals and educational institutions, yet every month they show clear and repeated violations, added the report.
Prof Ashish Verma, Transportation Systems Engineering, Convenor, IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab, quoted in the report, highlighted the lack of noise barriers in Bengaluru, unlike cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. Citing IIT-Bombay as an example, where such barriers were installed to counter construction-related noise, he emphasised the urgent need for similar measures near hospitals and schools in Bengaluru.
Rajkumar Dugar, founder of Citizens for Citizens (C4C), pointed out the prevalence of illegal, multi-toned, and excessively loud horns, especially in silence and residential zones. “Noise pollution from vehicles, especially due to illegal horns and unnecessary honking, is a silent public health crisis. It affects physical and mental well-being, slows recovery in hospitals, and lowers productivity,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Dugar also called for stricter enforcement against not just the use of illegal horns but their manufacture and fitting. “Noise monitoring in a city like Bengaluru cannot be limited to just 10 locations — KSPCB must scale up,” he added.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
