07 July,2010 07:26 AM IST | | Somita Pal and Urvashi Seth
Subhash Shah, a stock broker breathed easy on Monday. The pollution level in the city had gone down drastically. All thanks to the bandh.
"It is good that taxis and autos were not on the road. We could actually breathe the clean air," Shah said.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board confirmed this. "Yesterday, noise level was between 70 and 75 decibels while it's between 95 and 100 on other days," said BD Wadde of the board's regional office.
Noise level
Noise level during peak hours shoots up to more than 120 decibels on other days.
"Also, the nitrogen and sulphur dioxide levels had gone down drastically with vehicles remaining off the roads," Wadde said.
High concentration of these gases can cause respiratory disorders.
Harmful particles
The level of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) in the air was almost half of what it was on normal days. RSPM is a mixture of harmful particles in the air that can cause sneezing, asthma, migraine, and cancer.
Sumaira Abdulali, convenor of Awaaz Foundation, a non-profit organisation, said, "It was a welcome relief. Noise level in most areas was around 50-55 decibels," said Abdulali.
"In residential areas, noise level should remain between 50 and 55 decibels."
