Study finds 87% of Bhubaneswar residents consider traffic noise a major health concern
Key Highlights:
- ● A Jindal Panther-YouGov study found 87% of Bhubaneswar residents consider traffic noise a major health risk, with 71% reporting noise distraction-related accidents or near misses.
- ● A striking 94% of people report irritability, and 91% struggle with concentration. Alarmingly, 64% have dangerously normalised extreme noise as an unavoidable part of daily life.
BHUBANESWAR, 13 March 2026 – Jindal Panther, the retail brand of Jindal Steel, today announced the launch of its ‘Shaant City, Safe City’ campaign in Bhubaneswar, following a study revealing that 87% of the city’s residents believe traffic noise poses serious health risks. The initiative is aimed at tackling two of urban India’s most pressing challenges—noise pollution and road safety. To understand the issue deeply, Jindal Panther partnered with YouGov to survey Bhubaneswar, providing a stark picture of how traffic noise is affecting daily life and physical well-being.
Key Findings from the Jindal Panther & YouGov Survey:
● Rising Noise Levels: 86% of respondents reported a significant increase in vehicular noise over the past 2–3 years.
● Mental Health Toll: 94% of residents feel irritable after prolonged exposure, while 91% reported struggling with concentration and heightened stress.
● The Safety Connection: 71% of respondents have either been involved in or narrowly avoided an accident due to noise-related distraction, with 38% reporting actual accidents.
Commenting on the campaign, Gautam Malhotra, CEO of Jindal Steel Ltd., said: “Traffic density is rising across Indian cities, and yet, noise pollution remains under-discussed as a major threat to urban health and safety. ‘Shaant City, Safe City’ is an attempt to put people at the heart of this conversation. We aim to make the citizens of Bhubaneswar aware of the unhealthy conditioning we have normalised and how we can become more ‘zimmedaar’ on the road, because a truly ‘mazboot’ city is built through responsible actions by each one of us.”
Despite the identified risks, 64% of respondents say traffic noise has become a “normal” part of daily life in Bhubaneswar. However, public sentiment strongly supports reform: nearly 70% believe lowering noise pollution can reduce accidents and fatalities, and 58% associate quieter cities with reduced stress and safer pedestrian roads.
Designed to create tangible change, the ‘Shaant City, Safe City’ campaign will feature on-ground activations in traffic-heavy zones, radio spots, and community-
participation initiatives. Bhubaneswar marks the first phase of this multicity initiative, which Jindal Panther plans to expand to other Tier-2 cities across India to create a unified movement for safer, quieter urban roads.
* YouGov conducted a survey of 365 vehicle owners and commuters aged 18–65 in Bhubaneswar.
