Articles by Prajna Dutt

Prajna is a Programme Coordinator with Oorvani Foundation. She is a passionate advocate for climate action with a belief that systemic and policy changes are needed to achieve real benefits. Tweets at @prajnadutt20 about implementable everyday actions that citizens can do to make urban civic spaces better.

Car and two-wheeler horns are unrelated to vehicular motion. Yet, a closer look at our busy roads reveals a constant din caused by drivers honking relentlessly, even when unnecessary. Once serene residential areas now reverberate with the cacophony of different horn sounds. The noise at traffic signals and bottlenecks is hitting deafening levels of around 90 decibels (dB), and vehicle drivers ignore 'silence zones' near schools and hospitals. People continue to have multi-toned and high-pressure horns, which they use out of habit, while many vehicles have their silencers modified.  Numerous articles and awareness campaigns in Bengaluru and other cities have focussed…

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