Chandigarh: As expected, the city witnessed a temporary rise in noise levels during Diwali celebrations, but readings declined after the permitted two-hour window for bursting firecrackers ended at 10pm. This indicated that the noise spike was largely confined to the celebration period.Data released by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC), which monitored noise levels at six locations, show that readings came down between 10pm and 11pm at five of the six monitoring stations. The decline continued at these locations over the following hour.IMTECH-39 recorded the highest noise level of 83.9 dB(A) between 9pm and 10pm, while Sector 53 recorded the lowest at 66.1 dB(A) during the same period. The latter was also lower than the 69.6 dB(A) recorded at the location during the corresponding period last year.A comparison of the 9pm-10pm readings over four years shows a mixed trend. Noise levels were higher this year at five locations compared with 2025, while Sector 53 recorded an improvement. The highest reading at IMTECH-39 was also above its corresponding readings in 2023, 2024 and 2025.The encouraging aspect was the decline after 10pm. At IMTECH-39, noise levels fell from 83.9 dB(A) during 9pm-10pm to 77.2 dB(A) in the following hour and further to 72.6 dB(A) between 11pm and midnight. Sector 22 recorded a decline from 81.3 to 76.4 and subsequently to 72.6 dB(A).At PEC-12, the reading declined from 73.2 to 69.7 and then to 60.8 dB(A). Sector 17 recorded a reduction from 73.2 to 70 and 63.3 dB(A), while Sector 25 registered a fall from 71.6 to 68.4 and 64.9 dB(A).Sector 53 was the only location where the 10pm-11pm reading marginally increased over the 9pm-10pm reading, from 66.1 to 66.4 dB(A), before declining to 58 dB(A) in the next hour.The CPCC said residents largely adhered to the prescribed 8pm-10pm window for bursting green firecrackers. It thanked citizens for their cooperation, saying their response had helped keep the period of heightened noise confined to the permitted hours.The prescribed noise standards are 55 dB(A) during daytime and 45 dB(A) at night. While readings during Diwali celebrations exceeded these limits, the decline after 10pm indicated that noise levels began to taper off once the permitted period ended.BOX1: PEAK DIWALI NOISE LEVELS – 9PM TO 10PMNoise level in dB(A)| Location | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 || Sector 22 | 79.2 | 79.4 | 80.7 | 81.3 || IMTECH-39 | 72.4 | 66.1 | 74.3 | 83.9 || PEC-12 | 66.5 | 74.2 | 70.6 | 73.2 || Sector 17 | 66.7 | 67.2 | 72.9 | 73.2 || Sector 25 | 65.4 | 65.6 | 68.4 | 71.6 || Sector 53 | 69.9 | 61.8 | 69.6 | 66.1 |BOX2: NOISE LEVELS FALL AFTER 10PMDiwali 2026 readings in dB(A)| Location | 9pm-10pm | 10pm-11pm | 11pm-midnight || Sector 22 | 81.3 | 76.4 | 72.6 || IMTECH-39 | 83.9 | 77.2 | 72.6 || PEC-12 | 73.2 | 69.7 | 60.8 || Sector 17 | 73.2 | 70.0 | 63.3 || Sector 25 | 71.6 | 68.4 | 64.9 || Sector 53 | 66.1 | 66.4 | 58.0 |BOX3: PRESCRIBED NOISE STANDARDS| Period | Permissible level || Daytime (6am-10pm) | 55 dB(A) || Night (10pm-6am) | 45 dB(A) |
