Mumbai: Jindal Panther, the retail brand of Jindal Steel, has launched its ‘Shaant City, Safe City’ campaign in Bhubaneswar, marking the first phase of a multi-city initiative aimed at addressing noise pollution and promoting road safety in urban India.
The campaign is backed by a study conducted in partnership with YouGov, which highlights the growing impact of traffic noise on public health and safety. According to the findings, 87% of residents consider traffic noise a serious health risk, while 86% have observed a rise in vehicular noise over the past two to three years.
The study further reveals the psychological and behavioural toll of prolonged exposure to noise, with 94% of respondents reporting irritability and 91% struggling with concentration and increased stress levels. Alarmingly, 71% of respondents have experienced or narrowly avoided accidents due to noise-related distractions, with 38% reporting actual incidents.
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 risks, the report indicates that 64% of respondents have normalised traffic noise as a part of daily life. However, there is strong support for change, with nearly 70% believing that reducing noise pollution can lower accidents and fatalities, while 58% associate quieter environments with reduced stress and safer roads.
As part of the initiative, the campaign will roll out on-ground activations across high-traffic zones, supported by radio outreach and community engagement programmes. Following its launch in Bhubaneswar, Jindal Panther plans to expand the campaign to other Tier-2 cities across India, aiming to build a broader movement towards safer and quieter urban environments.
