Airborne Sounds

If you live anywhere between Okhla andPalam, the noisiest moment of the day is when a huge, near-obsolete, ex-Sovietfour-engined jet screams in to land with a decibel count that causes the innerear to self-plug in disbelief. Apparently this is a cargo service that lifts(especially in winter) woollen clothes such as angora sweaters sold in Paharganj,to re-sell for a tidy profit in Uzbekistan et al. While visiting budgettraveller friends in Paharganj 10 years ago, I bought one of these sweaterswhich came down to my knees and rose to a rolled collar almost two feet long, afabulous bargain for 300 rupees, though definitely not rabbit-friendly. At theshop was a bulk buyer, a blousy madam from a Central Asian republic, whoapparently invested her profits orally—all her teeth were encased in gold.While some of these Mae West characters were reputed to have business interests(of an afternoon, with one’s feet up) in Karol Bagh, this particularsweater-packing momma personally oversaw the packing of her order, and when theconsignment was stitched up, she loaded it into the back of a Tempo—and thensat on it the whole way to Palam (where she would flash her golden smile at theCustoms). So the next time you curse the subsonic shriek of this four-engineddinosaur for putting all polite conversation on hold, think of all the warmsmiles it has brought to the faces of the shivering citizens of Central Asia,not to mention Eskimo Nell’s gritted teeth astride the open Tempo. 

The Yamuna Barrage is a landmark for circling aircraft to complete their circuitand turn back on the glide path to the runway. If the wind’s in the rightdirection, the pilot will fly over or near Jamia Millia, Crown Plaza Surya,Friends Colony, the Ring Road Flyover between Srinivaspuri and Lajpat Nagar, AllIndia Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi City Limits, the Hyatt andVasant Vihar. It is fascinating to assess from the amount of sound heard in agarden situated under the glide, the provenance of the passing overhead traffic. 

One encouraging sign is the improvement of muffling devices on aircraft enginesand over the years you learn to distinguish the latest mark of an aircraft typeby the lower key of its thrust. You can, in fact, rate the latest technology bythe whisper of the engines and no longer is it true that the bigger the aircraftthe louder will be its presence. 

One area that doesn’t improve and could do with the muffler removed is theDelhi airport public announcement system. For years, Domestic Arrival acousticshave been appaling, which suggests nobody bothers to check them out, let aloneupgrade. The visitor wants his flight information loud and clear instead ofsmothered by affected shuddh Hindi or simpering starlet English. 

This article originally appeared in Delhi City Limits, January 31,2006