Noise pollution and associated health impacts at Ganeshpeth Bus Terminus in Nagpur, India

Noise pollution, a man-made disaster in the present times, is becoming more severe and pervasive than ever before due to rapid urbanization, affecting quality of life in urban areas in India. Transit areas generate excessive noise which proves disastrous to human health. However, very few studies have mapped noise levels of transit terminals in India. The objectives of this study are (i) assessment of noise levels in Ganeshpeth Bus Terminus, the major interstate bus terminus in Nagpur and generation of noise contour map in ArcGIS and (ii) a qualitative assessment of the impact of traffic-related noise on the health of the people working in the terminus with prolonged exposure to noisy environment, by conducting a health perception survey based on a questionnaire comprising indicators of health parameters. This is a first-of-its-kind study on noise mapping at an interstate bus terminus in India. The results indicate that the noise levels all over the bus terminus site are much higher than the prescribed standards and the source of noise is not only the plying of vehicles but also the misuse of the public address system. Solutions have been suggested to achieve a drastic reduction in noise levels through simple planning-oriented measures.