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Bandra's Pali Hill, once known for its tranquil charm, is going through a wave of redevelopment projects that has shredded its peace. Amid a wave of construction, a silent development is taking shape that could set standards for building projects across Mumbai and perhaps other cities too.
In May, locals residing in the vicinity of Pali Hill's Panorama building, which has gone in for redevelopment, were frustrated by the deafening noise levels from the construction site.
They complained to the builder, Rustomjee Group, who installed noise barriers around the site, making it perhaps the first instance in the city where local activism resulted in the erection of structures that arrest sound emanating from construction sites.
Anti-noise activist Sumaira Abdulali, who took the initiative, conducted sound readings before and after the installation of the barriers. She said that the installation of the barriers resulted in an almost 10dB reduction in noise: "The highest noise recorded before placement of the sound barriers at close quarters when the drill was being cleaned of mud was 103.2dB.
When noise barriers were placed, the same a ctivity at a similar distance reduced to 94dB. The highest noise levels when the drill was cleaned at a distance (before placement of sound barriers) was 94dB. After placement of noise barriers, at a similar distance, the noise reduced to 82dB."
A bdulali lives in the building adjoining the construction site and knew well that the need for installing the sound barriers was the most when piling work was being carried out. She expressed hope for the steps taken on the site to become a prototype for all builders, especially where regulation is an issue and where vertical parking in new buildings are known to lead to continuing noise pollution.
Madhu Poplai, secretary of the Pali Hill Residents Association, said, "What helped here was that the builder understood the issue we raised and agreed to working out a solution. Getting barriers, missing from most construc-tion sites in Mumbai, would not have been possible without the builder's cooperation. With another building in front of Panaroma also to undergo redevelopment, construction noise will only increase. We as residents are making all efforts to ensure our locality is not affected."
A spokesperson for Rustomjee Group said, "Given that most construction workrequires piling and excavation, we decided to install sound barriers to minimize the impact of such activities. While the investment in these custom made panels is significant, the comfort and convenience they provide to the community are well worth the cost."
Why did the builder wait till locals approached with a noise reduction request? "Wereceived feedback about the inconvenience caused, especially since a lot of construction is occurring simultaneously in the neighbourhood," the spokesperson said. "We explored globally accepted best practices to minimize inconvenience, and after careful consideration, found that installing noise barriers was the best solution for the problem."
