GIS-Based Mapping and Assessment of Noise Pollution during Diwali Festival in IIT(ISM) Campus, Dhanbad, India

Abstract

In the present study, ambient noise levels were monitored in IIT(ISM) Dhanbad campus on Pre-Diwali and Diwali day. The findings of noise level monitoring revealed that the noise level was increased during the Diwali celebration due to the burning of a large number of firecrackers and celebrations using a music system inside the campus. The study focuses on a small geographic area, but the problem of huge generation of noise pollution is not limited to the present study area but is common all over India. During the daytime, the value of the average equivalent noise level on Diwali day is 11.8% higher when compared to Pre-Diwali day. For the night-time, the average equivalent noise value is 27.2% higher when compared to Pre-Diwali day. When compared to the noise standards pre-scribed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for educational institutes i.e., silence zone, it is observed that the noise level exceeds by 38.5 and 86.2% on Diwali day for daytime and nighttime, respectively. Moreover, for clear visualization of noise dispersion, noise maps are prepared for different monitoring hours using ArcGIS software.

Keywords: noise pollution, GIS, noise mapping, IDW, CPC