DDA starts work on Games Village sound barrier

After over three years of deliberations with the Northern Railways,the DDA has finally started constructing a 500-metre long and 3-metre high sound barrier along the railway track,officials told Newsline. “The barrier will obstruct noise from the tracks reducing it by over 20 decibels. The noise level at the track is currently recorded at 65 decibels and we are aiming to bring it down to at least 45 decibels after the barriers have been set up,” said a senior DDA official.

The special sound absorbent micron sheets being used as barriers will not only block out all noise of a train running on the tracks but also cover the view of the tracks,the officials said.

The project worth Rs. 1.75 crore includes the cost of material,setting up and dismantling of the barriers.

The project was initially supposed to have imported sound barrier sheets. However,as it was decided that the structures will be temporary the material used is now being bought from a manufacturing plant in Madhya Pradesh. “The barriers have been designed to withstand a wind force of 150 kmph so that they do not fall on the tracks due to wind storms. During the Games,we will deploy guards there,just in case they fall onto the tracks,” said a DDA official working on the project.

“The Railways did not want the structures to be permanent as there were concerns of regular maintenance expenses. It is also not possible to have guards manning the stretch constantly,” the official said.