Review article

Noise intensity was quantified for urban, peri-urban and sub-urban parts of Bangalore as an indirect measure of urbanization. The study demarcated the levels of equal intensities with digital sound-level meters on weekdays at interval of 5 minutes in order to extract variable noise intensities. The results confirmed Equivalent Sound Levels (Leq) violations under Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, which were observed at 36, 18, 20 and 24 observatories in commercial, industrial, residential and silence zones. Also, the number of observatories having Leq more than 75dB in commercial areas, industrial areas, residential areas and silence zone is 23, 16, 6 and 15 respectively, with the number of observatories with Leq inching closer to the 75dB mark being 12, 6, 8 and 8 respectively. The study concludes that at almost all the wards of Bangalore city, the norms for terming a location as industrial, commercial, residential areas and silence zone were violated.