National Noise Monitoring Network

India's Union Environment and Forests Ministry decides to set up a National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network on the pattern of existing Air and Water Networks. A road map has been prepared by the ministry which shall be ready by September 2010. Under this network noise monitoring centers will be set on pilot basis in 7 cities viz Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Lucknow. Each city will have 10 stations. By 2011 the network will be expanded to 18 more cities with 5 stations in each city. There will be 160 stations placed in 2 years time frame. Rs. 10 crores will be spent in these two year sunder the current 5 year plan.

Objective:
This will a make available a systematic national level monitoring and reporting network in the country similar to case of air and water pollution. The job is at present done by Central and State Pollution Control Boards on random basis. The Objective of this Road Map is to facilitate setting up of a systematic national level noise monitoring network in a time bound manner. The baseline data which shall be created in these stations will be utilized to control noise at regional and national level.