Noida: Residents, especially morning walkers and visitors of Meghdutam Park in Sector 50, Noida, on Wednesday submitted an appeal with Ritu Maheshwari, Chief Executive Officer of Noida Authority, against proposed installation of laser-show and musical fountain in the park.
Almost 800 morning walkers, visitors and residents have already signed the petition, which was initiated against the installation of laser-show and musical fountain.
According to appeal, residents have informed the top officer that Noida Authority plans to install laser lights to conduct cultural and historical sound and light shows at the Meghdutam Park. Laser shows may be a good idea at Noida's entry point at Sector 14A, or Noida Stadium or Shilpi Haat, but such shows will wreak havoc and unsettle the beauty of the park's natural landscape, cause a decline in birds' population and disturb the peace and tranquillity of Meghdutam Park.
They told that a great number of residents have supported this appeal and appended their signatures to the serious concerns like public nuisance, health hazards and adverse consequences arising from the proposal to install laser shows in the Meghdutam Park.
They argued that for billions of years, all life has relied on Earth’s predictable rhythm of day and night. It’s encoded in the DNA of all plants and animals. Humans have radically disrupted this cycle by lighting up the night.
They further argued that plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark rhythm to govern life-sustaining behaviours such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators.
“Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at night has negative and deadly effects on many creatures including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects and plants. As someone said, the adverse impact of artificial light on animals is like running a bulldozer over a landscape,” one of the residents said.
The park is situated in a residential sector and has 19 apartment buildings (two under construction) round its periphery. It will be inappropriate to throw flashing light/laser rays on adjacent buildings. Regular doses of flashing laser rays (light pollution) and amplified recorded narrative (noise pollution) will become a nuisance for residents in these apartments.
Amplified sound from several 300 watt speakers will disturb family life and evening study of children. This public nuisance cannot be ignored or excused on the ground that the laser show is providing entertainment to Noida citizens.
Sanjeev Kumar said that laser lights are unlikely to affect an aircraft as power of lasers is too weak to make a noticeable distraction beyond 500 feet. But 500 feet or 150 metres is equivalent to the height of a 35 storied apartment.
“Now overhead beam effects are completely safe as long as no laser light comes in contact with those viewing the show. But sweeping laser beams will strike balconies and rooms of flats in multi-storied apartments to up to 35 stories. Every laser show will be an ocular health hazard and nuisance for families and children residing in apartments situated on the periphery around Meghdutam Park,” he added.
He said that they requested Noida Authority not to organise laser shows, or other tourist installations in Meghduttam Park.
