The ministry of civil aviation's move to boost regional connectivity by allowing airlines to import aircraft as old as 18 years may not be good news for people living near airports. While modern planes are quieter, older aircraft are not.
People living near airports may have to put up with an increase in sound levels in the coming months and there is not going to be an improvement for those near railway stations either as the railways does not have any sound barriers in place or restrictions on honking for locomotives.
"Noise pollution awareness is still at a nascent stage at airports. Following complaints, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation set up some norms for the Delhi airport. The circular issued a few years ago is supposed to be followed by other airports also," says a senior Airports Authority of India official. "However, implementation is difficult if an airport is surrounded by residential buildings, like in Chennai." There were a few complaints years ago when the Madras Flying Club was operational. "People wanted us to stop flying at night. Now, we do not have any complaints," says an airport official. This is primarily due to aircraft manufacturers who have made the new planes quieter.
The noise generated by a modern B747-8 or A350-900 aircraft touches 85 decibels (dB) when engines are at full throttle during take-off. This is far lower than the ambient noise in some of the busiest neighbourhoods in the city. This is one of the reasons why many spot a plane but don't hear its noise.
According to DGCA norms, permissible noise levels near airports are 105dB for civil aircraft during the day and 95dB at night.
28/06/16 V Ayyappan/Times of India
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People living near airports may have to put up with an increase in sound levels in the coming months and there is not going to be an improvement for those near railway stations either as the railways does not have any sound barriers in place or restrictions on honking for locomotives.
"Noise pollution awareness is still at a nascent stage at airports. Following complaints, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation set up some norms for the Delhi airport. The circular issued a few years ago is supposed to be followed by other airports also," says a senior Airports Authority of India official. "However, implementation is difficult if an airport is surrounded by residential buildings, like in Chennai." There were a few complaints years ago when the Madras Flying Club was operational. "People wanted us to stop flying at night. Now, we do not have any complaints," says an airport official. This is primarily due to aircraft manufacturers who have made the new planes quieter.
The noise generated by a modern B747-8 or A350-900 aircraft touches 85 decibels (dB) when engines are at full throttle during take-off. This is far lower than the ambient noise in some of the busiest neighbourhoods in the city. This is one of the reasons why many spot a plane but don't hear its noise.
According to DGCA norms, permissible noise levels near airports are 105dB for civil aircraft during the day and 95dB at night.
28/06/16 V Ayyappan/Times of India
