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India’s deafening problem
Honking is harming India’s health – and its economy
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Road traffic accounts for 75 per cent of India’s urban noise, but tackling it is hard because it requires overhauling how cities are managed and how citizens behave.
PHOTO: AFP
The Economist
There is nothing palatial about Diamond Horn Palace. The cluttered shop in Chandni Chowk, an old and crowded part of Delhi, sells horns and other car accessories. Yet its humble surroundings mask a thriving trade. “People buy expensive bikes and cars, but after two or three months the horn no longer matches the presence of the vehicle,” says Mr Mustafa Ahmed, its proprietor. “I restore them for very cheap. Some say I have magic in my hands.”
Mr Ahmed’s booming business should sound an alarm for India. Step onto any street in the country and it is easy to hear why. According to UN data compiled in 2022, Indian cities are among the loudest in the world. Noise levels on Delhi’s streets average around 75 decibels – four times the threshold recommended by the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO). Peak readings in some cities have exceeded 100 decibels, roughly the equivalent of standing next to a chainsaw.
