UP’s Moradabad Second-Most Noisiest City In World, Delhi Too On UN List

The list features a total of 13 South Asian cities, of which five are in India.

Moradabad: The city of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh found a place on the world map, but not for the right reasons. According to the recent ‘Annual Frontier Report, 2022’ published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Moradabad is the second-most noise polluted city globally. The city recorded noise pollution of an ear-splitting 114 decibels (db).

According to the ‘Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches’ report that mentions a total of 61 cities, the highest noise pollution of 119 db has been recorded in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, while Pakistan’s capital Islamabad is at third place, where the noise pollution level has been recorded at 105 db.

The list features a total of 13 South Asian cities, of which five are in India, including Kolkata at 89 dB, Asansol (89 dB), Jaipur (84 dB), and Delhi at 83 dB.

Top 15 most noise polluted cities in the world

What Are The Recommended Sound Levels?

According to the WHO’s recommendations, the permissible noise level limits are 55 dB for outdoor residential areas and 70 dB for commercial areas, and where there’s traffic. The global health agency’s guidelines say that a sound with a frequency of over 70 dB is harmful to health.

World’s Quietest Cities

The UNEP report found that Irbrid (Jordan) at 60 dB is the world’s quietest city, followed by Lyon (France) at 69 dB, Madrid (Spain) at 69 dB, Stockholm (Sweden) at 70 dB, and Belgrade (Serbia) at 70 dB.

What Does The Report Say?

“High levels of noise impair human health and well-being – by disrupting sleep or drowning out the beneficial and positive acoustic communications of many animal species that live in these areas,” said Inger Andersen, executive director, UNEP in the report.

“But solutions are at hand, from electrified transport to green spaces – which must all be included in city planning with a view to reducing noise pollution,” she added.