Road Traffic Noise Pollution: Present Scenario and Potential Noise Attenuation Strategy for Pabna Municipality, Bangladesh

This study was conducted in Pabna Municipality with the intention to identify the temporal and spatial dynamics of urban traffic-induced noise pollution, and to find out potential noise pollution attenuation strategy. Noise level data was collected from fourteen major locations with sound level meter in four distinct time namely, morning (6 am to 11 pm), noon (11 am to 4 pm), afternoon/ evening (4 pm to 9 pm), and night (9 am to 6 pm). Average noise level in that four times was observed 93.09, 89.30, 90.71, 80.17 dB (A), respectively. In the morning, noon, afternoon/evening, and at night the maximum noise level was observed in Singa morr (bent/curve), Bypass terminal, George court (Kachari morr), and Traffic morr, respectively; which was 106.7, 106.8, 94.8, and 87.4 dB (A), respectively. On the contrary the minimum noise level in morning, noon, and at night was recorded in Gaspara morr which was 82.2, 82.3, and 76.1 dB (A), respectively. But in the afternoon/evening, minimum noise was measured in Edward college gate which was 84.3 dB (A). Most striking finding was that noise pollution level was above the standard in all the points in that four times compared to the standard for road traffic noise. Finally several ecological, engineering, infrastructural, institutional, and behavioral approaches were recommended that could be applied to attenuate noise pollution problem in Pabna Municipality.