THE penalty for excessive honking is set to be increased to Rs 2,000 for every offence. According to an affidavit filed by the State government before the Bombay High Court in response to a PIL filed by city-based NGO Awaaz Foundation on the issue of noise pollution, the State Transport Department is planning to increase the fine for honking in silence zones from the current Rs 100 to Rs 2000.

By Hemanthi Guruge
The Ministry of Environment and Central Environmental Authority together with a private company has launched an environment friendly bag.

Noise pollution is hounding creatures of the deep too. A report by a leading animal welfare group says that levels of noise in the world

The Department of Environment (DoE) filed cases against 11 vehicles, including bus, mini-bus and cab, in the city yesterday for causing noise pollution.

The cases were filed under Motor Vehicle Ordinance-1983 during a drive at Old Airport Road on the second day of the DoE's four-day awareness campaign against noise pollution.

A team led by DoE Deputy Director (implementation) Billal Hossain conducted the drive. BRTA representatives and policemen were on the team.

The team also seized two hydraulic horns and distributed leaflets.

In its latest survey on noise pollution, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has found the vehicular traffic-induced noise in the city at an alarmingly high level, necessitating some regulatory measures to reduce people

The Supreme Court yesterday discharged Chief incumbent of Welikadawatte Temple, Rajagiriya Ven. Pannala Pannaloka Thera, who was earlier remanded by the Court till September 15, as he had failed to appear before the court on Monday 01, on charges of violating the Supreme Court order on the Noise Pollution.

Ayesha Arvind

Gurgaon, September 8 When it was first conceived, Gurgaon was to be a perfectly planned city offering an enticing lifestyle. Massive real estate development soon followed in the form of upmarket condominiums and numerous high-end commercial complexes.

Years later, however, many such complexes are still waiting for a regular electricity connection, depending in the meanwhile, on diesel generator sets for power.

The Supreme Court yesterday rejected the motion seeking bail for Venerable Pannala Pragnaloka Thera of the Welikadawatte Temple Rajagiriya who had been remanded on a Supreme Court order for failing to answer notice to appear before the Court.

The Sindh High Court on Friday gave the provincial government, the city district government, the traffic police and the regional transport authority two months to curb the air and noise pollution.

Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan and CDGK counsel Manzoor Ahmed submitted before a division bench comprising Justices Munib Ahmed Khan and Rana Mohammad Shamim that measures had been taken to improve the situation created by traffic congestion and defective vehicles, including rickshaws, but they would take time to yield results.

Green activists from a human chain and leaflet distribution ceremony on Monday said the sound pollution control act 2004 was not being enforced in Dhaka.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the middle of last year took some steps, including campaign against sound pollution, but later it did not continue with programme, the activists said.