Evaluating the noise exposure levels of different schools in noise-scapes of Kargil town: Ladakh, India

Abstract

Noise at school poses a serious challenge to the classroom atmosphere with negative impacts on teachers’ and students’ ability to listen and learn. Kargil town is the gateway to the Ladakh Himalayan region that remains cut from the rest of the world during the winter months. During the summer months, the region experiences a spike in traffic activity. The current study was designed to assess noise exposure levels in schools within the Kargil town administrative boundaries. The result indicates that indoor, as well as the outdoor Equivalent noise level (LAeq), in the schools located in Commercial area (58.3 ± 7.7 & 60.0 ± 1.9 dBA) Highway area (57.4 ± 8.1 & 63.0 ± 2.3 dBA) and Residential area (52.9 ± 9.8 & 60.0 ± 1.9 dBA) was above the permissible limits of World Health Organization and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) India. The highest indoor and outdoor Noise Climate was (15.4 ± 3.9 & 19.8 ± 2.3 dBA) in the school located on the Highway area is due to the flow of heavy vehicular traffic on the Highway and the Traffic Noise Index was also high in schools located on the Highway (97.5 ± 7.6 dBA). The Noise Pollution Level (LNP) value was also found to be high in the Highway area (72.8 ± 10.7 & 82.8 ± 3.0 dBA). The findings of this study will be beneficial for policymakers and stakeholders in the context of noise pollution management in schools with evolving noisescape of Kargil town.