This Indian city that said no to traffic jams and honking because..., it is in...

The worst thing about being stuck in traffic is never honking. However, there is one city in India that has put an end to this unnecessary honking. Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, has become the first Indian city to adopt a no-honk policy, that too without any official help or legislation.

The average decibel level of a car horn is around 110dB, which is a serious health hazard, as any sound above 60-70dB can gradually damage hearing. Noise pollution has become such a serious problem in cities that ENT experts say that most of the urban population has lost hearing ability below 20dB.

Noisiest city: Mumbai

Horn honking is considered to be the most common source of noise pollution. A report released in 2013 declared Mumbai as the noisiest city in the country, followed by Lucknow, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Chennai. Seventy per cent of the noise pollution in Gurugram is caused by honking. The fines imposed for violations are very low, and people are annoyed by the loud horns on the roads. If a person is continuously exposed to noise above 55dB, he or she is at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

What the WHO says

According to a WHO study, "One million healthy life years are lost due to traffic noise." The story of Aizawl is recorded in a short film called Tranquillity, which shows how the people of the city come together to make their home noise-free. The film has been filmed by six youngsters from Nagaland and Mizoram and has also been directed by actor, director and choreographer Prabhu Deva.

While in metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi, everyone seems to be in a hurry and the whistling never stops, in Aizawl, you are only greeted by the chirping of beautiful and melodious birds. With this initiative to eliminate noise pollution, Aizawl has set an exemplary example for the entire country.

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