Shreerup Goswami

Assessment of Highway Noise and Predictive Models along NH-316

Noise pollution has become a major concern of communities living in the vicinity of highways/road corridors, and intersections. The recognition of highway noise, as one of the main sources of environmental pollution led to design models that enable us to predict traffic noise level. Several models have been developed to predict traffic noise along the highways from fundamental variables such as noise descriptors. Experimental data are gathered for seven squares along the National Highway-316 (connecting Bhubaneswar to Jagannath Dham, Puri) in the present study. Noise pollution was analysed in seven different squares (road sections) during morning, afternoon and evening to assess the level of noise pollution along this road. A methodical comparison of simulated and experimental data is made, in order to test the perfection and behaviour of the models in different studied sites in an Indian road condition. Co-relation coefficient is applied to infer the level of significance.

Environmental Noise in India: a Review

Purpose of ReviewThis article reviews the literature on research carried out during the last two decades on noise impacts in India to demonstrate the current status of noise pollution research in India and gaps in studies. It also summarizes future perspectives of acoustic research.Recent FindingsThe noise pollution studies over the years have focused on the monitoring, recording, modeling, geospatial mapping, and exposure-effect relationship. The review of papers demonstrated that road traffic noise is the predominant cause for annoyance among the respondents. The evidence comes mostly from studies focusing on health impacts. Only 10% of articles enumerated zone-specific noise pollution. 44.89% of articles reported details of subjective response data with the help of a questionnaire tool, while 14.3% of articles reported details about the noise in workplaces of different areas of India. Ten percent of articles attributed to the harmful effect of festive noise. Studies in relation to the physiological and sleep disturbances in Indian condition are negligible.SummaryNoise pollution limits are being breached in almost all Indian cities. Violations are the worst in urban areas. The laws should be properly implemented in India to control this ever-growing menace. The government is now working on devising new noise pollution standards. City-wise noise pollution mitigation strategies should be worked out at all levels. It is concluded that coordinated and long-term integrated noise pollution research (comprising assessment of noise descriptors, noise mapping, prediction by noise modeling, and experimental studies to demonstrate exposure-effect relationship, advanced study on acoustic absorption material) is the need of the hour.

Biostratigraphy and floristic evolution of coal swamp floras of a part of Talcher Basin, India: a window on a Permian temperate ecosystem

The present megafloral assemblage recorded from the Barakar sediments of Dholpahar section along Singda rivulet near Gopal Prasad Village in Talcher Basin comprises of equisetaceous stems, Gangamopteris buriadica, Palaeovittaria kurzii and 19 species of the genus Glossopteris. Record of Gangamopteris, Palaeovittaria and many narrow mesh forms of Glosspteris viz., G. angustifolia, G. churiensis, G. communis, G. recurva, G. spatulata, G. stenoneura, G. tenuifolia, G. vulgaris and G. zeilleri from two older fossiliferous horizons demonstrates that these fossils were preserved during Lower Barakar sedimentation. The report of middle and broad mesh forms of Glossopteris viz., G. barakarensis, G. browniana, G. indica, G. intermittens, G. karharbariensis, G. nakkarea, G. oldhamii, G. taeniensis and G. retifera in the youngest fossiliferous horizons reveals that these fossils were preserved during the deposition of Upper Barakar sediments. The continuation of some of the Karharbari plant fossils in the early phase of Barakar Formation and their disappearance in the flora of Late Barakar suggests a shift in the climatic setup. Palaeoclimate and palaeovegetation of this area are also summarised in this study. Moreover, the fossil assemblages of different fossiliferous beds of Dholpahar section demonstrate the evolution of midrib and meshes in different reticulate leaves.