Noida: Fed up with the constant din of heavy traffic on the 5-km MP-2 elevated road, residents have renewed demands for noise barriers, citing rising health concerns from constant traffic noise. The Vishwakarma Marg stretch, connecting Sectors 18 and 61, passes close to residential pockets with senior citizens and children.In 2017, a resident had written to the then Noida CEO, UPPCB, GB Nagar MP and Noida MLA on the matter. In Jan 2021, the installation of noise barriers had received in-principle approvals from the former CEO, and engineering drawings were provided by CSIR-CRRI, there has been no tangible progress since.Residents have now written to the additional chief secretary of the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department (IIDD) of the UP govt on Jan 20, about the worrying noise levels.According to the CPCB’s Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, permissible noise limits near residential areas are set at 55 dB(A) in the daytime (6 am to 10 pm) and 45 dB(A) at night (10 pm to 6 am). As per a UPPCB report dated March 3, 2025, noise levels along the 5 km stretch of the elevated road ranged from 70.1 dB(A) to 72.5 dB(A) – far above permissible limits.The excessive noise further encroaches upon designated silent zones, such as schools and hospitals in the vicinity of the road, where the permissible noise levels by CPCB are set at 50 dB in the day and 40 dB at night. Child PGI hospital in Sector 30, the Vishwa Bharti School in Sector 28, and the DPS school in Sector 30 are all located in close proximity to the stretch in question – within a distance of 1-2km.“The noise pollution from this elevated road is a long-standing concern for our community, affecting thousands of residents. Noida Authority must take immediate action to mitigate this problem,” said Pushkar Chandna, a resident of Lotus Panache in Sector 110, who often commutes on this stretch.Chandna has written to various authorities, including the Noida Authority, the UPPCB, the local MP and MLA on the matter, to no avail.In an email to the additional chief secretary of UP govt’s Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department of the UP govt on Jan 20, Chandna outlined the health risks faced by residents due to this prolonged noise pollution issue. He urged for the installation of see-through noise barriers, similar to those successfully implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) along the Delhi-Dehradun Highway and the Noida to DND KMP Expressway.Residents along the stretch echoed these sentiments, expressing frustration over the lack of response from authorities after numerous requests for intervention. The installation of noise barriers would significantly improve the quality of life and contribute to a healthier environment for tens of thousands living in the vicinity, they said.Rakhi Sinha (49), a resident of Sector 28, said that she was unable to bear the excessive noise levels. “I have lived in Ward-2A, Arun Vihar, Sector-28, Lane-1 since Aug 2022, and I’m an outright victim of the MP 2 elevated road as well as its slip road. I was totally shocked at all the noise when I shifted here. Since then, I have demanded for the installation of noise barriers on both the roads. A barrier on just one won’t help. The slip road or the merging road is as menacing. But there is no action or redress so far,” she said.According to Sinha, the problem is especially glaring for those living on the first and second floors here, as these houses lie almost next to the elevated road and the slip road. “The two roads are deafening us and affecting mental peace 24x7x365 days, as not only small vehicles like two and four-wheelers but also heavy vehicles like buses and trucks ply on this stretch. And the noise is so strong that we keep our windows and doors shut even on the days the AQI is a bit better. We cannot enjoy our balconies as there’s nothing like proper relaxation right under our roof!” said Sinha.Ankur Arun, a Sector 34 resident, added that “noise level just varies between loud to too loud.”Sinha further said that residents are suffering from hearing issues, lack of sound sleep, as well as low work efficiency. “If there’s a work-related video conference or watching TV, then I keep the volume high, which further hurts,” she said.
