Expensive noise sensors fell asleep

95504

Public  facilities would be deaf  ears  
    when  they  lose  their  functions  to  
    serve  the  public.  Eco-friendly noise  information displays on  several  traffic mainstays  in Shenyang are getting  into  such awkward position. Some  citizens  said  they had  'fallen asleep  for  some years.'
    The Commercial Times  recently made a  survey  to  five noise  sensor  screens  in urban districts  such  as Heping, Dadong  and Shenhe  and  found only one  in Dongling District  still works, while other  four  stop working or even disappeared.  
    It  cannot  be  figured  out when  the four  screens  stopped working  but  it  is known  that  the noise  sensors were put  in use  six years ago.  
    Shenyang's environment protection  authorities  installed  the  three  screens on  traffic mainstays  such  as Qingnian Avenue  and Heping Avenue  in August 2006.  
    Compared with  the one built  in  front of  the  city  environment protection bureau, the new  sensors were  improved with wireless  data  transmission:  they  can  convey nearby  noise  data  back  to  environment watchdog once a 20  seconds  and  they environment  protection  authorities  would record  the data  for  analysis  and offer  solutions  and warnings  to  local noise pollution areas.  
    A  bigger  part  of  noise  information displays  were  produced  by  Shenyang Haozheng Tech Corporation, but  the  firm closed down  long  time ago.  
    "The devices, commonly  referred  to  as noise  information display, are actually environmental  and  traffic noise  sensor  in urban areas," a  source  surnamed Xu with a environment  evaluation  firm  told  reporter  of the Commercial Times.  "The portable devices we  take  to assess noises cost  less  than 10,000  yuan. But  the  noise  sensor  is  far more  expensive when  its  internal  sensory component  takes more  than  10,000  yuan, plus  its costs  such as appearance design, assembling  and  maintenance.  So 40,000-50,000 yuan  shall be  spent on  such a noise  sensor."