When, Tripura along with entire parts of the country observed the ‘World Environment Day’ (June 5) and month long campaign to raise awareness of people about rapidly deteriorating environmental hazards like air pollution and noise pollution, the Traffic police in Agartala have also taken proactive measures to control the growing noise pollution across the city.

Nothing illustrates the point better than the increasing level of noise pollution in Tripura. While, a new and potentially dangerous threat has emerged of late. A section of young motor-bike riders , desperate to gain attention, remove the normal silencers from their vehicles and replace them with more noisy ones , creating huge noise pollution as they run in every nook and corner of Agartala and other parts of the state  . This has been continuing for some time even though a Supreme Court order has fixed the decibel level of silencers fitted on motor bikes at 80 decibels. The noise created by modified silencers is much more and penetrating than normal levels, which creates havoc, especially in Agartala.

The Traffic police, led by the new SP, Kanta Jahangir has launched a special drive across the city since June 9th against modified silencers along with fake number plates, tempering on registration and other violations of Motor Vehicle Act.

On Thursday, the city Traffic police launched this special enforcement drive across all five-sectors of the city including in busiest North-Gate, Post Office Chowmuhani, Ashram Chowmuhani, Nagerjala areas against traffic violations and detained hundreds of vehicles including motorbikes with modified silencers.

 While speaking with media persons, the SP said that the union government has earlier urged enforcement agencies to crackdown on vehicles using spurious, sometimes illegal parts such as modified exhausts in motorcycles and pressure horns, which cause nuisance on the roads by producing a loud sound and are a contributor to noise pollution.

"Use of modified exhausts, pressure horns and other non-standard parts is illegal, traffic police and local transport departments can take action in such cases. Recently, the government had made it clear that unapproved fitments are illegal while issuing by modification of original fitments of a vehicle", said Ms Jahangir.

She said that during their special enforcement drive against violation of traffic rules; so far the city Traffic police have detained 661 non-standard number plates and issued challens against these violators.

She said that altogether 26 motorbikes were seized for using modified silencers and for other violations of Traffic laws. The Traffic police on Thursday have also detained 55 vehicles with fake number plates.

The SP added that special initiatives have been taken by the department in association of the Transport department for identification of ‘black spots’, accident prone areas and a survey has also been going on across the state to reduce Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs).  She also said that during the past few months, the RTAs has reduced at 32% and fatality due to road accidents has also reduced at 34%.

Ms. Jahangir said that the special drive against violation of traffic rules will continue across the capital city and urged the city dwellers to adhere to traffic laws for their overall safety and protection.