An experimental study of noise pollution in Gauhati University campus, Guwahati, Assam, India

The noise level measurement was carried out to assess the traffic generated noise in Gauhati University Campus during the month of April 2012 and May 2012. Extech's Datalogging Sound Level Meter (model 407764) was used to measure the noise level. In the present work eight locations were selected for the study. The measurements of noise levels at the building facades were carried out in three different time intervals of the day i.e. in the morning 9-11am, midday 12-2pm and in the evening 6-8pm. The instrument was set to record noise samples at 2 sec intervals during the 10 minutes of exposer time. Equivalent sound pressure level (L_eq), noise climate (NC) and noise pollution level (L_np) were computed for statistical analysis of noise level. The present study reveals that the noise levels exceed the prescribed noise standard set by the Central Pollution Control Board, India (CPCB, 1998). The results of the analysis suggest that the maximum equivalent noise level was in the morning 9-11am and minimum in the midday at 12-2pm.