PANJIM Vehicles with multi-toned horns and buses – government and private – with pressure horns are set to face the rap for violating noise pollution standards, with the state pollution authority directing the Transport Department to dismantle all such vehicular horns in the next 30 days.
In directions issued on Tuesday, the board has also the department to ban and prohibit manufacture and usage of pressure horns and multi-toned horns in vehicles in the state.
Vehicle horns will be replaced with standard horns as prescribed under the Central Motor Vehicle Act and as per the Environment (Protection) Rules 1986.
“Under Section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, the Transport Department is directed to take immediate steps and submit an action taken report within next 30 days. Failure to comply with the same, would force the board to issue a legal notice to the department,” the direction issued by GSPCB Member Secretary Levinson Martins reads.
Goa has around 10.83 lakh vehicles, with approximately 40 per cent having multi-toned horns. On the other hand around 1500 buses run on state roads with pressure horns. All this leads to noise and emission resulting to pollution.
The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has empowered the board to ensure maintenance of the specified ambient noise standards, thereby banning and restricting any activity emitting noise, as per the latest amendment to the Environment (Protection) Rules 1986. Herald had reported about the directions in its April 30th edition.
