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Noise soars across Bengaluru's ‘silence zones’

This year, on average, the night-time noise levels in ‘silence zones’ like NIMHANS and RVCE Mysore Road in Bengaluru were recorded between 61 and 64 dB(A) from February to April.

Moneycontrol City Desk | July 31, 2025 / 16:33 IST
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Bengaluru's designated ‘silence zones’ are experiencing exceptionally high noise levels, exceeding permissible limits, particularly at night, and even surpassing industrial areas in violations, The New Indian Express reported. (File photo)
Bengaluru's designated ‘silence zones’ are experiencing exceptionally high noise levels, exceeding permissible limits, particularly at night, and even surpassing industrial areas in violations, The New Indian Express reported. (File photo)
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According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s (KSPCB) May data, the RVCE Mysore Road zone registered night-time noise levels of 57.8 decibels (dB), exceeding the legal limit by 44.5%, while the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (NIMHANS) zone reported a 29% rise above permissible levels. (File photo)
According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s (KSPCB) May data, the RVCE Mysore Road zone registered night-time noise levels of 57.8 decibels (dB), exceeding the legal limit by 44.5%, while the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (NIMHANS) zone reported a 29% rise above permissible levels. (File photo)
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Experts were quoted by TINE as saying that one of the major contributors to this spike is ‘phantom honking’ — where drivers honk not to warn, but out of sheer habit or frustration, especially around silence zones where traffic moves slowly and enforcement is lax. (File photo)
Experts were quoted by TINE as saying that one of the major contributors to this spike is ‘phantom honking’ — where drivers honk not to warn, but out of sheer habit or frustration, especially around silence zones where traffic moves slowly and enforcement is lax. (File photo)
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TINE noted that the KSPCB’s regional office complex at SG Halli in Bengaluru reported one of the steepest violations in a residential category, with a 61.8% spike at night. Meanwhile, industrial zones like Peenya and Whitefield — typically assumed to be noisy — remained well within the prescribed limits. (File photo)
TINE noted that the KSPCB’s regional office complex at SG Halli in Bengaluru reported one of the steepest violations in a residential category, with a 61.8% spike at night. Meanwhile, industrial zones like Peenya and Whitefield — typically assumed to be noisy — remained well within the prescribed limits. (File photo)
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This year, on average, the night-time noise levels in ‘silence zones’ like NIMHANS and RVCE Mysore Road were recorded between 61 and 64 dB(A) from February to April, the report added. This is over 50% higher than the allowed limit of 40 dB(A) in such zones. (File photo)
This year, on average, the night-time noise levels in ‘silence zones’ like NIMHANS and RVCE Mysore Road were recorded between 61 and 64 dB(A) from February to April, the report added. This is over 50% higher than the allowed limit of 40 dB(A) in such zones. (File photo)
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RVCE even touched a high of 70.3 dB(A), while NIMHANS recorded levels between 56 and 63 dB(A). Professor Ashish Verma, Transportation Systems Engineering, Convenor, IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab, pointed out that, unlike cities like Mumbai and Delhi, Bengaluru lacks basic “noise barriers”, which are urgently needed in areas near hospitals and schools. (File photo)
RVCE even touched a high of 70.3 dB(A), while NIMHANS recorded levels between 56 and 63 dB(A). Professor Ashish Verma, Transportation Systems Engineering, Convenor, IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab, pointed out that, unlike cities like Mumbai and Delhi, Bengaluru lacks basic “noise barriers”, which are urgently needed in areas near hospitals and schools. (File photo)
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He cited the example of IIT-Bombay, where noise barriers were installed to mitigate the increased noise levels caused by the widening of the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) to keep the campus noise-free. In contrast, he said nothing of that sort has been done so far in Bengaluru, despite growing traffic and urban activity. (File photo)
He cited the example of IIT-Bombay, where noise barriers were installed to mitigate the increased noise levels caused by the widening of the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) to keep the campus noise-free. In contrast, he said nothing of that sort has been done so far in Bengaluru, despite growing traffic and urban activity. (File photo)
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Rajkumar Dugar, founder and convenor of Citizens for Citizens (C4C), highlighted that along with phantom honking, most vehicle horns on roads today are either too loud, shrill, or multi-toned and often illegal, the report added. (File photo)
Rajkumar Dugar, founder and convenor of Citizens for Citizens (C4C), highlighted that along with phantom honking, most vehicle horns on roads today are either too loud, shrill, or multi-toned and often illegal, the report added. (File photo)

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