The information was made available by Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave today in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with its counterparts in every state carries out monitoring of noise pollution in seven metropolitan cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad through a network of 70 noise-monitoring stations under National Ambient Noise Monitoring Programme (NANMP).

"The data from these monitoring stations indicate that average noise pollution levels generally exceed the permissible limits. The data includes noise due to horns of vehicles," Dave said.

The noise standards for motor vehicles, air conditioners, refrigerators, gensets and certain types of construction equipment are prescribed in the Schedules of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, Dave said.

The minister said pressure horns (sirens and multi-tone horns) are banned except for police van, ambulance and fire brigades under provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Measures taken to reduce noise pollution in metropolitan cities include advisories for noise monitoring on the occasion of Deepawali, prohibition of the use of fireworks between 10 PM and 6 AM, awareness programme to avoid bursting of firecrackers and issuance of directions under relevant sections of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.