Lucknow has emerged as a stark example of worsening noise pollution, with sound levels in designated silence zones such as Gomti Nagar and the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute (PGI) now competing with those in busy commercial areas like Aliganj and Hazrat Ganj. Areas meant to protect patients, students, and residents are witnessing noise levels that defeat the very purpose of “silence zone” classification.
Equally alarming is the complete absence of noise pollution data from the Lucknow airport. Either the Noise Monitoring Terminal at the airport is non‑functional, or the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) operator engaged by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has failed to upload the data. In both cases, the result is a serious regulatory lapse and denial of critical public information.
This failure is a clear violation of the Hon’ble National Green Tribunal’s Order dated 21 March 2024 in OA No. 612/2023, which directed the CPCB, Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure continuous monitoring and public disclosure of airport noise levels.
Residents living directly under the airport’s landing and take‑off funnel appear to have been left entirely unprotected, despite enduring continuous exposure to hazardous aircraft noise. The situation raises troubling questions about whether these citizens are being treated with basic human consideration—particularly in a State that simultaneously runs round‑the‑clock advertisements claiming to be the most citizen‑friendly and best place to live.
As the NGT’s 21‑03‑2024 order applies to all airports across India, it is expected that CPCB will place airport‑wise noise data on record when it files its response in the fresh proceedings initiated on this issue. Directions are also being sought to mandate all private airports to publish noise data on their websites. For AAI‑managed airports, airport‑specific noise data must be made readily available in the public domain, either on the AAI portal or the CPCB portal.
Transparency, accountability, and enforcement of the law are urgently required—not only to safeguard public health, but also to uphold environmental norms and constitutional rights. Since the document containing 12 sheets is very heavy, I am attaching one month sheet on sample basis. The link of UPPCL is attached – https://uppcb.up.gov.in/en/page/ambient-air-quality-noise-data