Shor in BKC as Anna roars

Sound level meters at the MMRDA ground registered decibel counts between 74 and 81 dB during the crusader's speeches last afternoon; the permissible noise limit at the commercial hub ranges from 74-78 dBu00a0

The Mumbai chapter of Hazare's protest for the Lokpal Bill isn't quite managing to make all the right noises.
While day one of the Hazare's protest saw a poor turnout of supporters, and mounting concerns over his poor health, the crusader's vociferous oratory ended up raising sound levels at the ground several decibels over the permissible limit, with the maximum decibel count touching a steep 81.9 dB.

Along with activists from the NGO Awaaz Foundation, MiD DAY checked the decibel levels at the MMRDA ground while the veteran crusader delivered his speech in the afternoon. It was found to vary between 65 and 81 dB.u00a0
"At one point the sound meter registered 81 dB, but it mostly ranged from 74 dB to 79 dB," said Sumaira Abdulali from the Awaaz Foundation.

Actor Anupam Kher's address registered 80.2 dB, a close second to Hazare's maximum decibel count at 81.9 dB. "If any kind of loudspeakers are used at the venue, then there are chances that the noise levels will escalate beyond the normal range," added Abdulali.

The permissible noise limit for Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), as for any other commercial hub in the city, ranges between 55 and 75 dB.

MMRDA's Joint Project Director Dilip Kawathkar, however claimed that the permissible range at the venue varied between 75 and 78 dB. "The noise limits for the MMRDA ground ranges from 75 dB to 78 dB," he said.

Abdulali, however, begged to differ, saying that the limit was lower. "The sound levels went marginally exceeded the permitted limit. This is not a major issue, but the police will do well to keep a tab on the sound levels. They should check sound levels constantly and ask the organisers to keep it down, without confiscating their equipments," he cautioned.

On a regular day, the noise levels at BKC range between 65 and 98 dB.