| Story | Awaaz Foundation, an NGO, has been raising its voice against deafening decibels in India. With its tireless efforts, Awaaz has successfully pushed the Indian government to enact policies that fight back noise pollution.To advance our fight, we knew we would have to solve for the main cause of this noise - persistent honking – biggest contributor to the significantly high decibels in the country’s noisiest city- Mumbai.In Mumbai, driving and honking seemed two inseparable things, with a noise mapping exercise revealing as high as 18 million deafening honks an hour. According to Dr. John Panicker- coordinator of Indian Medical Association’s Safe Sound Initiative, “Excessive noise from sources such as car horns can cause acute health problems related to the heart and mind…”. A finding that pointed towards those in direct line of fire- autorickshaw drivers- who drive all day in a vehicle that is door and windowless. |