The 17 years old ongoing battle against noise pollution caused by aviation has exposed one common factor – all the statutory authorities despite having perfect mechanism to assess noise pollution caused by aviation, continue to be comatose.
CPCB despite having issued a Procedure for Monitoring Ambient Noise Level due to Aircrafts-2008” (Procedure -2008), which mandated installation of at least two NMT on both side of Runways under flightpaths preferably in residential areas, fails to monitor on ground.
The procedure 2008 by CPCB was endorsed by MoEF&CC in its Airport EIA Guidance Manual, 2010, however, its own Regional Office at Lucknow continues to be ignorant of the same and does not raise an eyebrow when half yearly compliance reports are filed. THe half yearly reports are validated while sitting in office with ground inspection.
Thereafter DGCA issues Circular bearing number F. No. 04-01/2010-AED (Vol. II) titled as “Noise Management of Aircraft Operations at Airports dated 18th December 2014, issued by DGCA unilaterally modifying circular issued by CPCB by deleting night time penalty of 10dB(A).
The worse part is that CPCB in absence of any provisions both in its act and rules delegates power to monitor and control noise pollution by aircrafts to Airport Operator and DGCA, both are interested parties.
When questioned about non monitoring of Lday, Lnight and Ldn, DNL, TDNL, EDNL and BDNL, which includes night time penalty of 10dB(A) in line with ICAO Norms, when 3rd Runway 29/11 (Old) was closed for maintenance, CPCB removed the facility of looking at Online Noise levels on its portal.
Delhi airport claims to record ambient noise level by installing 5 NMT outide flight paths to record and monitor ambient noise levels on 32 flight paths – (4 runways x 2 (sides each runway) X 2 (each runway has 2 sides) x 2 (each runway can be can used for landing and take off) = 32 flight paths . Surprsingly DGCA claims that Delhi Airport is complying with 2018 notification. Similarly IIT DElhi certifies compliance by DElhi airport of Procedure 2008, Circular 2014 and 2018 notification, without even looking at the documents.
Thus, obtaining certification from IIT is not at all difficult.