Prediction and Limitations of Noise Maps Developed for Heterogeneous Urban Road Traffic Condition:A Case Study of Surat City,India

Road traffic noise pollution has been recognized as a serious issue which affects human health as well as affects urban regions.Noise maps are very beneficial to identify the impact of noise pollution.A noise mapping study performed to study the propagation of noise in tier-II city along with field measurements.The noise maps are developed using a computer simulation model(SoundPLAN essential 4.0 software).The noise prediction models like U.K’s CoRTN,Germany’s RLS-90,and their modified versions,which can be used for homogenous road traffic conditions,cannot be successfully applied in heterogeneous road traffic conditions of India.In developing country like India,road traffic noise pollution depends on the composition of heterogeneous traffic volume,variance in road geometrical,honking conditions,un-authorized parking,and varying density of the building on either side of the road.These traffic compositions contain vehicles,which have different sizes,speeds variations,a different dimension of vehicles.Because of fluctuating speeds,lack of lane disciplines,and un-authorized parking on main road lanes,honking events becomes inevitable,which changes and affects the urban soundscape of nations like India.Analysis of noise maps showed that horn honking due to un-authorized parked vehicles contributed an additional increase up to 11 dB(A)noise,which is quite significant.

Appraisal of Urban Road Traffic Noise in tier-II City(Surat City),India

Urban road traffic noise pollution has always been identified as a severe problem that affects urban populants.In developing nation,road traffic noise pollution depends on the composition of heterogeneous traffic composition.These traffic compositions contain vehicles,which have different sizes,speeds variations,a different dimension of vehicles.Environmental noise measurements have been carried out during day-time and night-time in different locations of tier-II city of India.The noise levels have been continuously measured over 24 h periods using kimo DB 300 class-2 noise level meter.The data contained in this research paper represent 768 measurement hours.All the information has been used to investigate the time patterns of the noise levels under a wide range of different conditions and to study the relationships between noise levels and traffic in urban areas.Maximum LAeq was observed 73.3 dB(A)at B_(14) location and the minimum was recorded 65.7 dB(A)at C_(3) location,which was greater than the central pollution control board(CPCB)prescribed limits during night time.A major reason for the generation of road traffic noise is due to the equal composition of 2-wheeler and 4-wheeler on the arterial road and heavy vehicles were recorded during morning peak and evening peak even though they are prohibited during peak hours.