Ravi Kalra is happy to be dubbed as the No-Honking Man of India. This Delhiite, along with 100-odd volunteers, has been carrying out a ‘Do Not Honk’ campaign for the past five years to educate drivers not to honk unnecessarily and help control noise pollution.
“It is such a social menace and still people don’t understand. At traffic signals, motorists honk unnecessarily. Motorcyclists are the worst. Many countries have banned honking and India should do it too,” Kalra said.
The 44-year-old activist started his fight against honking way back in 2008.
“I was driving with my daughter, and people were honking all around at an intersection. She asked me ‘Papa! Do something!’ That was the prod I needed,” Kalra said.
He started an NGO, The Earth Saviors Foundation, and with the help of 100 volunteers carried out a drive at the Gurgaon tollgate by wiping out ‘Horn Please’ signs from the back of over one lakh commercial vehicles, he claims.
“We removed these blow-horn signs without their knowledge as these encourage honking. We are now going to schools to sensitise children against honking,” said Kalra, who has been conferred with the prestigious Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel award for selfless humanitarian service.
Volunteers of The Earth Savers Foundation go out and stick “Do Not Honk” stickers on vehicles all over the Capital.
“Our main motive is to curb noise pollution, 70% of which is because of honking. Supreme Court rulings are there but still the situation is not improving much,” Kalra added.