Department of Environmental Science, Amrit Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Jul;28(27):35678-35689. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-13236-7. Epub 2021 Mar 6.
In Nepal, much emphasis has been given to the pollution of air, water, and solid waste both in terms of research and policymaking. Noise is an ignored pollutant, yet a growing public health concern in Kathmandu. This study is aimed at making an assessment of noise pollution in Kathmandu and study the effectiveness of the enforcement of noise standards and No Horn Regulation to control noise pollution. The study was conducted in 23 locations of four different zones (high traffic, low traffic, commercial, and residential) where 12 sites were considered for evaluating the effectiveness of No Horn Regulations. Noise level was studied at five different times of the day using a sound level meter to compute maximum, minimum, equivalent, and average noise level. This study concludes that (i) there is noise pollution problem in Kathmandu, (ii) No Horn Regulation is in place but it has not been strictly followed by the drivers and riders and monitored adequately by concerned authorities, and (iii) the regulation has been effective in reducing the noise level significantly. The average noise level of Kathmandu was recorded as 66.8 dB(A) with the highest noise level in High traffic zones, followed by commercial, low traffic, and residential zones. In 65.2% of the sampled sites, the noise level was beyond the permissible limit of WHO and National Sound Quality Standard of Nepal, 2012. Of the total honking events, 48.1% were against the provision of the No Horn Regulation. After the enforcement of the regulation, noise level was reduced significantly by 2.1 dB(A) in high traffic, low traffic, and residential zones. A comprehensive noise strategy with more emphasis on compliance monitoring and regular noise assessment should be formulated to address environmental noise as a major public health issue.
在尼泊尔，无论是在研究还是决策制定方面，都非常重视空气、水和固体废物污染。尽管噪音是一种被忽视的污染物，但在加德满都已成为日益严重的公众健康问题。本研究旨在评估加德满都的噪声污染，并研究执行噪声标准和禁止鸣笛法规以控制噪声污染的效果。该研究在四个不同区域（高流量、低流量、商业和住宅）的 23 个地点进行，其中 12 个地点被认为是评估禁止鸣笛法规效果的地点。使用声级计在一天中的五个不同时间点测量噪声水平，以计算最大、最小、等效和平均噪声水平。本研究得出以下结论：（i）加德满都存在噪声污染问题；（ii）禁止鸣笛法规已经实施，但司机和骑手并未严格遵守，有关当局也未充分进行监测；（iii）该法规在显著降低噪声水平方面是有效的。加德满都的平均噪声水平记录为 66.8dB(A)，其中高流量区的噪声水平最高，其次是商业区、低流量区和住宅区。在抽样的 65.2%的地点，噪声水平超过了世界卫生组织和尼泊尔国家声音质量标准 2012 规定的允许限值。在总鸣笛事件中，48.1%违反了禁止鸣笛法规的规定。在该法规实施后，高流量、低流量和住宅区内的噪声水平分别显著降低了 2.1dB(A)。应制定更加强调合规监测和定期噪声评估的综合噪声策略，以将环境噪声作为主要的公共卫生问题加以解决。
