IIT-Powai students irked by rising noise levels due to BMC work

Long drawn pipeline repairs has prompted students of IIT Bombay to raise matter with the authorities

Students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay are irked by the rising noise levels from the ongoing BMC pipeline work behind the hostel. They have complained about their inability to concentrate on studies due to the intrusive noise, which they have recorded above 80 decibel. The permissible noise levels being 75 decibels during the day and 70 decibels at night.

According to students, those living in hostel number 3, 4, 6 and 18, near the border of the Powai campus, are most affected by the din. "It's a nuisance because we are in the throes of our semester-end examinations, and the placement season will begin soon. During this time, our schedule is busy and frenetic, so we need peace at least in our hostel rooms," said one of the students. Another student said that the noise has persisted for over a month.

Insight, the official student media body of the technology institute, has raised the issue in a recent article. It reads, "Students, who have rooms near the campus boundaries, are the most affected. At times, the measured noise level in these rooms regularly crosses 80 dB. For the uninformed, longer exposure to sound levels above 85 dB is harmful to human ears."

A senior official from IIT Bombay, requesting anonymity, said, "The administration understands the students' woes and, therefore, the estate department has raised the matter with the civic body. They are in constant touch with the concerned BMC department to learn of further developments. Having said that, the pipeline repair work is unavoidable. We are pushing them to finish it soon."

An officer from the hydraulic department of the BMC, said, "The sound is from the air valve, which required for the breathing process of the pipeline so that it does not burst. We are now working on adding more air valves in order to reduce the noise."

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