TY  - BOOK
AU  - Lakshmi Pradeep
TI  - Exploring Noise Pollution Levels Across Various Land Use Categories and Evaluating the Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown and Unlockdown Phases on the Urban Soundscape of Delhi
KW  - Air Pollution and Air Quality
KW  - Cellular Noise
KW  - Environmental Impact
KW  - Noise Control
KW  - Pollution
KW  - Sound Studies
N2  - Noise, an environmental stressor affecting human health, has been inadequately studied in urban centers, with limited comprehensive analyses of its variations and their primary causes. This study is based on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee noise data from June 2020 to May 2021 for twenty-six locations under four different land-use patterns. The study aims to highlight and summarize the noise pollution variations in Delhi and investigate the influence of meteorology on ambient noise. Various noise pollution indices were calculated, plotted, and compared with the standards, and it was found that most of the silence and residential stations often exceeded the limits. Heat maps and calendar plots helped to depict the monthly and daily variations in noise levels. The spatial variations were represented by two-dimensional noise maps prepared using spatial interpolation techniques, which helped identify the noise hotspot areas. Noise maps indicated that more than 65% of the city residents experienced noise levels in the 'Highly risk' category (65–70 dB). The study also compared noise levels during the COVID-19 unlockdown phase 1.0 to 4.0 and the second wave lockdown in 2021, observing the effects of complete and partial shut-down of anthropogenic activities on ambient noise. The correlation of noise with meteorological parameters was analyzed and was observed to be statistically insignificant in most cases, showing that there are other factors on which noise propagation depends. The study helps characterize the areas with high noise levels and aims to identify the major sources to formulate tailor-made mitigation strategies. Further, the study gives a comprehensive view of the urban soundscape of Delhi, depicting its spatio-temporal variations and the influence of meteorology and anthropogenic activities across different land use categories
ER  -