Spatial Patterns of Noise Pollution and its Effects in Lahore City

Lahore is one of the cities most effected by uncontrolled noise pollution in Pakistan. The most important factor of noise pollution is the road traffic. The main objective of this study was to analyze and evaluate road traffic noise and to measure its effects on the population of Lahore city. A weighting sound level meter was used in the study. All the measurements were taken at a height of about 1.2 m from the ground at 56 sample sites. The spatial noise pattern was shown in maps. These were also drawn to show buffers dividing areas into moderate, high and extremely high risk zones in accordance with noise risk levels. The maps were additionally divided in day and night time maps, each with graduated symbols. The main day-night values were exceeding the permissible environmental standards used in Pakistan. Therefore, a survey was conducted to study the diseases caused by noise pollution in the areas with highest noise levels.

Muhammad Shafiq completed the Ph.D. degree (2012) in Meteorology at the Institute of Meteorology of Leopold-Francis University of Innsbruck, Austria. He completed the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees both in Spatial Science from Department of Space Science, University of the Punjab, Pakistan in 1998 and 2000, respectively. He is employed with Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) since 2003. Presently he is head of glacier hydrology and hazards group. His research interests include Climate and Cryosphere, Environmental Sciences, Geosciences, Space Meteorology and Glacial Hazards. Dr. Shafiq is a member of IEEE-Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, Pakistan Society of Geographical Information Systems and Space Generation Advisory Council. He has been a fellow of Higher Education Commission (HEC-Pak) from 2007 to 2011.