A Gap Too Loud: Damaged Barriers Fail To Screen Noise, Turn Eyesore
New Delhi: To protect people living along the flyovers on Outer Ring Road from the constant noise of passing traffic, particularly at night when heavy trucks rumble along this route, noise barriers were installed a few years back.
Due to lack of maintenance, huge gaps are now visible in what was supposed to be an impregnable wall that would block the sound. Sections have either disappeared or are damaged. Besides being an eyesore, these barriers are no longer serving their purpose.
If any visitor to the city drives down this route, after landing at Delhi airport, the experience can hardly be pleasing to the senses. His cab will cross a series of flyovers that have these fractured noise barriers installed on both sides looking quite grim.
The Rao Tula Ram, Munirka and Africa Avenue flyovers now have empty frames at many places and sheets that are coming off, flapping dangerously when the wind blows. Installing these barriers along both sides of the flyover had, according to one estimate, cost around Rs 40–50 lakh, said a PWD source.
"Theft is the biggest problem. People steal the sheets and railings, anything they can sell. Storms too inflict a lot of damage.
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We try to replace them when we can. PWD is always keen on maintaining aesthetics and we will undertake repairs on this stretch soon," said the source.
Residents say they have been waiting for this to happen. "It's not just the noise. If you're driving from the airport at night, the headlights from the RTR flyover, which is at a height, shine straight into your eyes," said Jaspreet, a Vasant Vihar resident. "Our homes shake when heavy trucks pass by.
It's like sleeping on a railway track," added Suresh Goel of the Vasant Vihar Federation of RWAs. Another resident added: "The sound levels are high and cause noise pollution.
Opening windows is impossible and using open areas at our home not feasible."
Dr Nasim Akhtar, chief scientist at Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), says the so-called "noise barriers" are mostly just "view-cutters" and don't do the job of reducing noise anyway.
"These are not proper barriers," he says. "For a noise barrier to be effective, you need two things: strong columns or posts that can hold the structure, much like a photo frame, and high-quality panels (which is the photo itself) that can absorb or reflect sound.
If the columns are weak, the barriers can't last. That's why you see them breaking so often. Even when they are installed, they don't reduce noise properly, which means high maintenance costs."
He added that CRRI had provided the design for noise barriers on five flyovers (Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk, Mangolpuri to Mukarba Chowk, Prembari to Azadpur, Vikaspuri to Meera Bagh and Vasant Vihar) which guarantees that the structure would remain in place for at least 20 years. "But that hasn't been implemented yet. The focus should be on proper design," he emphasized.
Dr Akhtar pointed out that PWD uses multiwall polycarbonate sheets for the barriers.
While this material is often used for soundproofing walls, it's not the best choice. The ideal material, according to him, is PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), which is stronger, more durable and better at blocking noise. PMMA is a transparent plastic commonly used for sound barriers installed along roads, railway tracks and airports.
Experts point out that it's a serious pollution issue too. Vivek Chattopadhyay, principal programme manager (Clean air and sustainable mobility), Centre for Science and Environment, said, "For all public infrastructure, SOPs, responsibility and action taken reports should be part of the regular activity.
So, noise barrier installation must be addressed on a priority basis because persistent traffic noise is a major pollution issue and affects residential areas, schools, hospitals and even other commuters.
Creating and installing them should always be accompanied by an SOP and maintenance protocol along with accountable agencies."
He added, "Further, in consultation with CRRI, even more advanced sound-absorbing features, materials and designs should be considered. Also, there should be no unnecessary, habitual honking. Perhaps even noise meters with public displays should be installed at strategic points to make people aware of the safe limits and by how much these are being exceeded; like colour-coded AQI helps people to understand severity.
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