Cops on drive to check air, sound pollution

People joyriding in their chokers emitting thick smoke clouds or enjoying honking their fancy horns much to the discomfort and often confusion of the other road users are going to invite trouble if they don’t mend their ways.

Failure to get their pollution certificates immediately or change their noisy horns, might leave them paying hefty fines or even getting their vehicle seized in a special 15-day drive launched by the police against violators of air and noise pollution norms. “With the Hyderabad Traffic Police receiving a number of complaints on air and noise pollution from the public, we have decided to launch a 15-day special drive to create awareness on the issue,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) N Hanumantha Rao. “We are concentrating on heavy vehicles as they ply on the city roads emitting a lot of smoke. Trucks, private buses, school buses and vans, two, three and four-wheelers that ply without a pollution certificate will also be fined,” he added. Stating that motorists should keep the `Pollution Check Certificate’ with them while driving, he said they should not equip their vehicles with any multi-toned horn giving a sequence of different tones or any other sound-producing device giving an unduly harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise. Two-wheelers, three-wheelers and fourwheelers that violate the above norms will be fined Rs 300 for each offence. In the case of medium and heavy transport vehicles, the fine will go up to Rs 600 per offence, the police officer said. With the police already on the checking job and registering around 400 cases a day, vehicle riders have started making a beeline for pollution check-up centres. “There’s a good response from bike and car riders. We are issuing more than 200 pollution certificates a day,” said V Santhosh, owner of a mobile pollution check-up centre at Banjara Hills. Amongst the major localities observed by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), Punjagutta Junction continues to remain the noisiest area in the city.

 By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com