The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) will be conducting its first noise monitoring exercise on Carnival Tuesday. "This is a collaborative effort with the EMA and the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Steering Committee, to address noise issues and concerns related to Carnival 2012," EMA's managing director/CEO, Dr Joth Singh explained. "It is intended to determine the decibel levels that the public is exposed to during the Carnival period, which will be added to further research projects, educational campaigns and technical assessments." The noise monitoring team which comprises representatives from the EMA's Noise Unit, the Environmental Police Unit (EPU), the Police Service, the National Carnival Commission and City Hall, conducted a site visit at various judging points to determine appropriate locations for recording readings.
The exercise entails recording sound pressure levels at selected locations, in the vicinity of the four judging points: Adam Smith Square; Picadilly Greens; Down Town; and the Queen's Park Savannah. At each judging point there will be three monitoring locations, in an effort to capture the noise level that revelers, spectators and residents in the area are exposed to under these conditions. Dr Singh also said the exercise was not intended to hinder any festivities, and was not obtrusive in any way. He added that the intent was to ensure noise levels being generated within the environment are safe and conducive to all.