Noise Level Observations During Ganesh Festival 2003

(Only Tables of observations 7 in numbers)

by Sudhir P Badami
15 September 2003

Noise levels on the night of 30 August 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	Gamdevi - Road Junction of Ramabai Road & Patkar Marg From within a taxi with engine idling at signal	20:35	66
2	Nana's Chowk From within a taxi with engine idling at signal	20:37	66
3	Mumbai Central Road Junction (Hamied Chowk) From within a taxi with engine idling at signal	20:40	66
4	Ghadge Maharaj Chowk (Jacob Circle)  From within a moving taxi	20:45	72
5	Chinchpokali Dr S S Rao Marg Police Chowki Drums (plastic membrane) at ~ 5 m distance	21:00	100	Reaching 110 dBA  sporadically
6	- same place as above - Shehanai-Vajantri at ~ 15 m distance	21:05	90
7	- same place as above - Drums (plastic membrane) at ~ 25 m distance	21:10	80
8	- same place as above - Drums (plastic membrane) at ~ 12 m distance	21:20	100
9	- same place as above - Drums (plastic membrane) at ~ 15 m distance	21:25	95
10	- same place as above - Drums (plastic membrane) at ~ 20 m distance	21:30	90
11	- same place as above - No Drums or Loudspeakers nearby	22:00	70	General lull
12	- same place as above - No Drums or Loudspeakers nearby	22:20	72	General lull
13	- same place as above - No Drums But electronic Banjo on Loudspeakers	22:40	95	Police asked  them not to play  and directive was  complied with
14	- same place as above but on terrace of 3 storey building  - Only Drums; No Loudspeakers	22:55	80	Away from terrace parapet wall
15	- same place as above but on terrace of 3 storey building  - Only Drums; No Loudspeakers	23:00	90
16	- same place as above but on terrace of 3 storey building  - Drums and couple of Loudspeakers	23:05	105
17	-  same place as above but on terrace of 3 storey building  - Only Drums; No Loudspeakers	from 23:00 to 24:00	consistently at 90 without respite	fluctuating to  95 & 100  once in a while perhaps when  loudspeakers were present
18	-  same place as above but back on road level  - Only Drums; No Loudspeakers	00:10	95
19	-  same place as above at ~ 3 m - Only Drums; No Loudspeakers	00:15	110
20	-  same place as above at ~ 8 m - Drums and Loudspeakers with electronic music	00:20	110
21	-  same place as above > 10 m - Only Drums; No Loudspeakers	from 00:20 to 01:10	consistently at 90 without respite	fluctuating to  95 & 100  once in a while perhaps when  loudspeakers were present
21	At Chinchpokali Railway Station Platform about 200 m from bridge	01:20	70	No train passing
22	At Chinchpokali Railway Station Platform about 200 m from bridge	01:20	90	passing fast train
23	At Chinchpokali Railway Station Platform about 200 m from bridge	01:25	76 in the train rising to 92 at high speed	Perhaps the last train to CST that night
24	At Babulnath outside taxi	~ 02:00	52

 
 

Noise levels on the night of 3 September 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	At Babulnath Indoors with open windows and no fan	21:45	50	Generally no traffic
2	At Babulnath & Chowpatty Bandstand Closer to Pandals	21:50 to 22:15	65	Sound of traffic on main road as well as TV & Radio sound
3	In Taxi in Girgaum Babulnath to Ajinkya hospital at junction of Ramabai Road and Patkar Marg, Sukhsagar, Opera House, Girgaum Portuguese Church, Jagannath Shankar Sheth Road (Girgaum Road), Thakurdwar, Khattar Galli, Yagnik Chowk, Gol Devul, VP Marg, Harkissondas Hospital, Sukhsagar, Ajinkya Hospital and Babulnath	21:50 to 22:15	65 with engine on 60 with engine off
4	In Girgaum - off Khattar Galli 2 Mandals played music on loudspeakers. Levels recorded outside on Khattar Galli	22:10	70 to 75
3	At Babulnath Indoors	22:30	50 with fan 45 without fan 40 without fan and closed windows

 

Noise levels on the night of 4 September 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	At Babulnath outdoors	21:45	60	With no traffic
2	At Babulnath & Chowpatty Bandstand Closer to Pandals	21:50 to 22:15	65	Sound of traffic on main road as well as TV & Radio sound
3	On the Girgaum-Chowpatty closer to the high tide line with water not close by.	22:30	70	Drums near Wilson College on the road - much further from the observation point
3	At Babulnath Indoors	22:30	50 with fan 45 without fan 40 without fan and closed windows

 
 

Noise levels on the night of 5 September 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	At Chowpatty - V P Road Junction In stationary Taxi	16:25	66
2	On Marine Drive near Bal Bhavan In stationary Taxi	19:00	66
3	At Chowpatty - V P Road Junction In stationary Taxi	19:10	70
3	At Chowpatty - Wilson College Junction In stationary Taxi	19:20	68 78 with traffic
4	At Chowpatty Bandstand road median	21:15	75
5	On the Chowpatty beach	21:20	75
6	Sukh Sagar corner on VP Road & Bhadkamkar Road (Lamington Road)	21:25	95 without speakers 100 with Police directives on loudspeakers
7	Bhadkamkar Road to Grant Road	21:30	95 without speakers
8	Train to Dadar	21:45  to  22:00	75 at stations 90 at peak speed
9	Outside Dadar Station	22:00	80
10	Lady Jamshedji Road near Antonio D'silva School	22:10	100 to 107	There were no loudspeakers but cymbals and drums were used with vigor
11	Ranade road upto Gokhale road and then upto Shiv Sena Bhavan	22:10  to  22:30	100 to 110	Some carts played music on loudspeakers and some were bursting crackers especially chain variety
12	In the Bus	22:30  to  22:50	75 to 90	In idling stationary and raised-engine-moving bus. Generally higher noise levels was prevalent due to the immersion activities.

 
 

Noise levels on the night of 6 September 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	At Babulnath outdoors	22:00	60	With no traffic
2	At Babulnath & Chowpatty Bandstand Closer to Pandals	22:05	65	Sound of traffic on main road as well as TV & Radio sound
3	On the Girgaum-Chowpatty closer to the high tide line with water not close by.	22:15	70	Drums near Wilson College on the road - much further from the observation point
3	At Babulnath Indoors	22:30	50 with fan 45 without fan 40 without fan and closed windows

 
 

Noise levels on the night of 7 September 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	At Nariman Point Maker Bhavan II on the road	23:30	60	Practically no cars in the CBD Nariman Point
2	On the way to Lalbaug in Maruti Van while traveling	23:40	68	Practically no mandals enroute encountered and if we did, then only lights at the gully entrance noticed.
3	At Lalbaug near the Mandal with the theme of Akshardham. on the bridge	23:50	75	Lot of people queued up for the darshan.
3	Within the Akshardham theme mandal setting	24:00  to  01:15	85 normally 95-100 sporadically	Songs and music played on battery of loudspeakers which appeared to be played at much below their capacity.
4	Along Dr Ambedkar Road upto Dadar-Pune Taxi Stand	01:30	75 to 80	Essentially the road traffic and bus traffic made this sound
5	Journey to Babulnath via Gokhale Road, Annie Besant Road and Worli Naka, Haji Ali Pedder Road by the Aaj Tak Van	01:45	65	Practically no mandals enroute encountered and if we did, then only lights  noticed.
6	At Babulnath	01:45	55	Outside residence with no traffic either
7	At Babulnath Indoors	02:00	50 with fan 45 without fan 40 without fan and closed windows

 

Noise levels on the night of 9 September 2003

Srl  No.	Place	Time  hh:mm	Noise Level  dBA Background level  in ( )	Comments
1	Babulnath - indoor	11:30 11:45 15:00 16:10 00:45	70 to 80 55 55 55 55	School closing early  All students - teachers had left Traffic had reduced on main road Only watchman's radio playing softly Far away background sound of loud speaker music.
2	Babulnath Temple Road Junction	16:10 19:20 01:00	72 (to 80+ with cars) 76 to 90 74	No traffic generally Some mild traffic generally No traffic generally
3	Wilson College Hostel Junction	01:00	90	Music on loudspeakers and drums
4	Chowpatty-Bandstand near police chowki opposite Mulchand Nivas	16:35	72	No traffic but loudspeaker 75m away
5	Chowpatty sands near emergency services enclosure	16:45 01:15	72 (to 80+ PLS) 70	Higher decibels when ever police spoke on loud speakers
6	Vittalbhai Patel Statue - Chowpatty	16:47 01:18	72 to 76 72	Night time (01:18) no police loud speaker
7	Sukh Sagar corner on VP Road	16:55 16:55 01:20	75 90 90	No loudspeaker Police Loudspeakers and drums Music on loudspeakers
8	Opera House - Kutch Castle corner	17:05 01:25	80 90+ 90 100	General - drums etc with drums and police loudspeakers Drums & Music on loud speakers Additionally, the police loud speakers
9	Portuguese Church - Jagannath Shankar Sheth Road (Girgaum Road)	17:10	100	Drums and crackers and roadside loudspeakers
10	J S Sheth Road - Majestic	17:15	85-90 95	Loudspeakers Music on loud speaker and drums
11	J S Sheth Road - Gaiwadi	17:18	90	Music on loud speaker and drums
12	J S Sheth Road - Dhootpapeshwar	17:19	100 to 105	Cymbals and drums
13	J S Sheth Road - Thakurdwar	17:25	90+ to 100	Drums and music loudspeakers
14	Phanaswadi	17:32 17:34 17:36 17:38	90 95 100 100	~50 m from Thakurdwar With drums Narrow Lane Music on loudspeaker
15	C P Tank Cawasjee Patel)	17:55 18:05	100 105	Drums & Police Loudspeakers - do -
16	Yagnik Circle	18:12	70
17	Alankar Cinema - V P Road	18:20	95 115	Loudspeakers and drums Crackers in addition to above
18	Harkissondas Hospital junction	18:30	100	Loudspeakers and drums
19	Goldfilled Leather Works Retail shop	18:34	98	Loudspeakers and drums
20	Bhadkamkar Road (Lamington Road) Police Station	18:45	100	Loudspeakers and drums
21	A residence on Bhadkamkar Road at 3rd floor	18:50	76 91	in the room on verandah
22	Grant Road Bridge	19:00	85 70	Mosque loudspeakers used Without loudspeaker
23	Nana's Chowk near J S Sheth's bust	19:05	110 90	Drums plus political party loud speaker Only drums
24	Gamdevi Police Station	19:10	100 90 110	Drums plus political party loud speaker Only drums Crackers in front of police station
25	Ajinkya Hospital road junction	19:18	90	Drums