Living with the drone day and night

Overflying aircraft a concern for Gnanapuram residents. With the development of the airport, the residents are having a tough time living with the drone of the overflying aircraft.

Gnanapuram is one of the oldest colonies in the city. It grew with the setting up of residential quarters by the then Bengal Nagpur Railways (BNR), the company that played a key role in the construction of Visakhapatnam Port, and the presence of a World War II garrison of the allied forces.

But all has not been well for the residents.

Air pollution

Being a low-lying area, flooding has been a perennial threat. And air pollution has been rampant ever since the VPT has surrounded the colony with its stockyards.

But currently, the residents are facing the problem of sound pollution.

With the development of the airport, the residents are having a tough time living with the drone of the overflying aircraft.

The design and direction of the runway was changed to accommodate bigger flights, making the aircraft fly over the colony at a very low level, said Solomon Anthony, a third generation resident of the colony.

Till a few days ago, the airport was accommodating 20 landing and takeoff of commercial jets from as early as 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

But currently, the presence of a naval air squadron, comprising MIG 29s, is making life more miserable for the residents.

“The fighter aircraft fly at a very low level, at mach speed (the speed of sound), and the sonic boom generated is equally high. The aged and those having heart ailments are suffering because of this. And most importantly, they even undertake night sorties,” said Agnel Kumar of Helping Hands, an NGO.

“Earlier, visits to lung specialities by residents for treatment of tuberculosis were very high. Now, residents are trooping to ENT and heart specialists. The permissible limit for human ear is about 65 decibel during peak working hours. But the aircraft sound exceeds the limit by about 40 decibels and, most importantly, there is a vibration associated with the sonic boom, which affects both the ears and the heart,” says J.V. Ratnam of Green Climate.

Apart from the health hazards, many of buildings are in a precarious condition due to the sound vibration, Mr. Agnel Kumar says.