ABSTRACT
Road traffic noise assessed in 13 different squares of major intersection points in Bhadrak city during four different specified times i.e. 7-10 a.m., 11a.m.-2 p.m., 3-6 p.m. and 7-10 p.m.. Road traffic was found to be the most important source of community noise at the studied sites. The noise levels of all the 13 squares were found to be beyond the permissible limit [70 dB (A)] during day time. Leq (equivalent noise level) values ranged from 93.4 to 100.5; 91.5 to 100.6; 95.1 to 107.3 and 97.3 to 106.3 dB during 7-10 a.m., 11a.m.-2 p.m., 3-6 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. respectively. LNP values range from 115.7 to 127.7; 114.2 to 129.8; 118.2 to 138.2 and 120.7 to 135 dB, while TNI values range from 134.3 to 154.7; 130.7 to 157.9; 136.7 to 168.2 and 137.2 to 165 dB during 7-10 a.m., 11a.m.-2 p.m., 3-6 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. respectively. Reprehensibly, even minimum LNP and TNI values are more than 114 and 130 dB respectively. Analysis of variance also computed for investigated squares at the peak hour i.e. 7-10 p.m. to infer the level of significance. The observed value of F (0.47) was less than the tabulated values and was not significant at both 5 and 1% levels of significance. Thus, the noise levels of different squares did not differ significantly at their peak hours. A preliminary public health survey carried out based on questionnaire method amongst 202 local inhabitants reveal the degree of annoyance due to road traffic noise.
ABSTRACT
The environmental noise in some commercial banks of Balasore, in terms of standard noise indices was worked out in the present study. Noise pollution was assessed in twenty different commercial banks of the city on 31st August, 2010 and during first week of September, 2010. The present noise monitoring was conducted with the help of sound level meter, which was calibrated acoustically using an external reference source, and placed over the microphone. It is inferred that the noise levels were more than the permissible limit i.e. 50 dB as prescribed in USA in all the investigated banks of Balasore and the maximum noise levels were around double of the said permissible limit, which is a contradiction with that of developed countries. Analysis of variance was also computed for all the banks during peak hour (10a.m.-12noon). The mean values of noise levels in different banks ranged from 75.5 to 90dB; from 69 to 83.6dB and 71.5 to 83.5dB during 10a.m.-12noon, 12-2p.m. and 2-4p.m., respectively. It was categorically observed that noise levels were more during 10a.m.-12noon than other investigated time intervals in all the 20 investigated banks. It is imperative to mention here that such an attempt of assessing noise in banks is first of its kind in India.
ABSTRACT
The present article deals with soil analysis around five opencast coal projects of Ib river coalfield during pre-monsoon (March), monsoon (July) and post monsoon (November) periods of successive three years (i.e., 2006, 2007 and 2008). Sampling of soil has been done from the vertical surface of the overburden at successive depths of 0-5 ft, 5-10 ft and at 10-15 ft. The different physical (soil texture, soil moisture, particle density, bulk density and porosity) and chemical (pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) parameters have been analysed. The soil textures of the study area are found to be loamy sand to loam, loam to silty loam and clay loam to silty clay loam in the depth of 0-5 ft, 5-10 ft and at 10-15 ft, respectively. The moisture content (7.297 at 0-5ft, 5.25 at 5-10 ft and 4.134% at 10-15 ft) and porosity (43.994 at 0-5ft, 40.682 at 5-10 ft and 35.85% at 10-15 ft) of the soil in the study area decreased gradually from the surface to greater depth. However, the particle density (2.639 at 0-5ft, 3.11 at 5-10 ft and 3.523 g cc-1 at 10-15 ft) and the bulk density (1.478 at 0-5ft, 1.839 at 5-10 ft and 2.269 g cc-1 at 10-15 ft) in this region increased from surface to the deeper region of the soil. The organic carbon (1.367 at 0-5ft, 0.9 at 5-10 ft and 0.396 kg ha-1 at 10-15 ft), nitrogen (2.845 at 0-5ft, 1.059 at 5-10 ft and 0.48 kg ha-1 at 10-15 ft) and phosphorus level (1.11 at 0-5ft, 0.715 at 5-10 ft and 0.679 kg ha-1 at 10-15 ft) of the soil decreased with increasing depth of the soil. However, the content of potassium (2.636 at 0-5ft, 4.374 at 5-10 ft and 5.82 kg ha-1 at 10-15 ft) increased gradually from the surface to the greater depth. Analysis of variance is computed to infer the variation in the concentration of parameters in different opencast coal projects and in various depths of the study area.
ABSTRACT
Heavy earth moving machineries, different capacities of dumpers and loaders, blasting and drilling make the mining environment noisy. A study was carried out to assess the noise level in different opencast projects in and around Belpahar and Brajarajnagar areas of Ib river coalfield. Noise assessment was carried out in various residential, commercial and industrial places. The noise levels, especially Leq values of different wheel loaders, dumpers, shovel and crusher units were also assessed and were more than permissible limit (90dB) in some of their operating conditions. Sound ressure level measurements while drilling into coal and overburden at Lakhanpur opencast project yielded noise levels (Leq) of 81.33 to 96.2 dB. Thus, these Leq values of drilling machines in most of the operating conditions were above permissible limit. The average noise intensities (6 a.m.-10 p.m.: 51.6-60.875dB and 10 p.m.-6 a.m.: 42.6-49.8dB) and Leq values (6 a.m.-10 p.m.: 50.9-67.0dB and 10 p.m.-6 a.m.: 40.8-53.3dB) during both day and night time of the residential areas around the Ib river coalfield were in close proximity or beyond the permissible limit. The Leq values at some of the commercial and industrial places were beyond (6 a.m.-10 p.m.: 61.6-88.3 dB and 10 p.m.-6 a.m.: 55.4- 64.8dB) permissible limit. However, in most of the cases, the Lmax noise values were more (6 a.m.-10 p.m.: 68.5-91.4 dB and 10 p.m.-6 a.m.: 69.3-76.4dB) than the permissible limit. Analysis of variance was also computed for heavy earth moving machineries in different operating conditions and also for different residential, commercial and industrial places to infer the level of significance. The difference of noise intensity produced by different wheel loaders at Lakhanpur and Lilari opencast projects, drilling machines at Lakhanpur opencast project, 50 tons capacity dumpers at various conditions of Ib river coalfield within the same operating condition was significant at both 5% and 1% levels of significance. Similarly, the variance of estimated noise level in residential places during day time and commercial and industrial places during day and night time was significant at both 5% and 1% levels of significance. Moreover, a preliminary survey adopting questionnaire method amongst the mine workers and local inhabitants was also carried out to evaluate their perception about the mining related noise.
ABSTRACT
Noise pollution is a significant environmental problem in many rapidly urbanizing areas of Orissa, India. Transportation sector is one of the major contributors to noise in these areas. The present study is an attempt to estimate traffic noise pollution at five places on the way from Vyasa Vihar Campus to Gyan Vigyan Vihar Campus of Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Orissa. The sources of noise at the studied sites are predominantly attributable to motor vehicular traffic. The noise levels of all the five locations were found to be beyond permissible limit during the day time. The contributions of different types of vehicles to environmental noise were found to ranging from 70.4-94.2, 79.0-96.1, 77.8-110.2, 70.8-90.3, 71.0-87.5, 71.1-84.4, 72.5-86.9 and 74.0-85.4 dB (A) by cargo carrying Trucks, Tractors, Dumpers, Town Buses, Motor cycles, Bolero/Trucker, Pick up and Tempo respectively. The contributions of individual vehicles towards noise pollution were found to be more than the road traffic noise-limit i.e., 70 dB (A). On certain local inhabitants interviewed, the impact of noise was observed in the forms of alterations in their physical, psychological and personal aspects. This study warrants attention from all sections of people to deal with the problem of noise pollution.
ABSTRACT
The miners as well as the inhabitants vicinity to the mining areas are generally susceptible to the respiratory disorders due to constant exposure to the coalmine dust for a prolonged period. In this paper, the dust concentration and dust dose associated with the rate of tuberculosis around the major part of Ib Valley Coalfield (Belpahar and Brajarajnagar area) have been analysed. Several field trips around Ib Valley Coalfield have been conducted for consecutively three years (2005, 2006 and 2007) to evaluate the present status of the dust concentration and rate of tuberculosis infection. It was observed that the dust concentrations of different residential places as well as the places vicinity to the opencast mining projects have been increased in the subsequent years of investigation. As a result, the dust doses of various residential places have also increased in a parallel manner. The dust doses of various mining sites range from 25.51 to 37.08 mg, 34.76 to 41.03 mg and 37.8 to 44.49 mg during 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. Interestingly, in most of the mining sites the dust doses are more than the safe dust does (32 mg). An attempt has been made to correlate the dust concentration with tuberculosis infection in the area by making a questionnaire survey. Early symptoms of tuberculosis were reported in case of 121 out of 205, 129 out of 212 and 145 out of 220 inhabitants during 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. The study clearly revealed that the tuberculosis patients have been increased significantly in the successive years of investigation.
ABSTRACT
Recent investigations carried out in the Ib River Coalfield, Mahanadi Master Basin, Orissa, identified some fossilif-erous beds in the Lower Gondwana deposits. Two exposures of the Lower Kamthi Formation yielded diverse and abundant plant remains, which include Neomariopteris, Vertebraria, and a scale leaf along with 14 Glossopteris species otherwise mapped as Barren Measures and Upper Kamthi formations. Glossopteris indica dominates the flora (22.78%) followed by G. communis (17.72%) and G. browniana (13.92%). Based on megafloral assemblages, different beds exposed at Gopalpur and Laxamanpur Pahar are assigned here to the Lower Kamthi Formation (Late Permian). The floristic composition suggests that a warm and humid climate prevailed during the Late Permian. The status of the Kamthi Formation in the Ib River Coalfield has been redefined in the present study.