Quiet please, you are entering Cubbon Park!

NT Correspondent

With there is enough aware- ness about noise pollution  caused by crackers, loudspeak- ers and construction activities,  the nuisance caused by incessant  honking by motorists often goes  unnoticed. In an attempt to raise aware- ness, a few NGOs have been run- ning various campaigns in the  city.

To raise the inconvenience  caused by shrill and continuous  honking, Citizens For Citizens  (C4C), a community group, with  help of Mount Carmel students  on Tuesday conducted an aware- ness campaign regarding noise  pollution caused by vehicles, par- ticularly inside the Cubbon Park.

“Vehicular noise pollution  has spread like a pandemic  across India. About 60-70% of  vehicle noise (engine, exhaust,  horns) is from horns. Until now,  we have carried out awareness  campaigns at Thimmayya Junc- tion, Lalbagh West Gate, Grant  Road, Old Airport Road and also  inside Cubbon Park. More and  more organisations and institu- tions are joining hands with us  in this campaign and we hope to  carry this forward in creating  awareness among the motorists,”  said Rajkumar Dugar, Founder &  Convenor of C4C.

He said that Sri Chamarajen- dra Park, popularly known as  Cubbon Park, is a landmark lung  space in the heart of the city and  needs to be protected and pre- served for posterity.  “Honking is a major source  of noise pollution in our city,  and when this happens inside  the park, where a variety of  flora and fauna are present and  where citizens come to relax, the  cacophony of loud and irrespon- sible honking is a huge distrac- tion,” he said.

According to the experts, this  is noticeable all along the approx- imately five kilometres of roads  inside Cubbon Park, and more  so at the entry and exit points as  well as at all junctions inside the  park. Exposure to persistent and  irresponsible honking results  in many avoidable mental and  physical problems which include  irritation, stress, hypertension,  heart problems, panic attacks,  hearing problems, sleep disor- ders, lower productivity, econom- ic impacts, adverse effects on un- born children, accidents due to  alarm of sudden loud honking,  even road rage, etc.

Dr S. Subramanya, a well- known ornithologist and scien- tist, has in his 2019 report “Birds  of Cubbon Park” listed 106 dif- ferent types of birds in the park.  Apart from birds, the park is also  home to a plenty of insects, mam- mals and reptiles, and they form  a crucial part of the ecosystem. For them, Vehicular Noise  Pollution is very disturbing.  Among some animals, even mat- ing gets affected, as their calls get  drowned by vehicular horns.