Legislation needed against noise pollution
Friday, 13 May 2011
Farzana Imam
The government makes a move in some cases to address issues of significance to the people. But one step forward is more than offset by five steps taken backwards. There is no other way to explain the inexcusable lethargy in pushing through a piece of legislation considered as vital from the standpoint of public health to which the government seemed responsive, made an initiative to create it and then for no good reason has been sitting on it. The government decided years ago that it would make laws to control noise pollution. Accordingly, the draft of an act was prepared that recommended Tk 10,000 as fine and maximum six months of imprisonment for producing noise higher than the permissible limits. But for unknown reasons the act in draft form has not progressed since then. Unlike in other areas, there are probably no powerful and influential vested interest groups who would want such legislation frustrated. Why then, this foot dragging with this act which can be of great value to millions and millions of people who are progressively losing their hearing abilities from the rising noise pollution ? The Society for Assistance of Hearing Impaired Children (SAHIC) conducted a year long survey at 21 spots in the city to find out the impact of noise pollution on the residents. The survey result showed that hearing ability of 76.9 per cent of the surveyed people was damaged from continuous noise pollution. A private university and a non governmental organization jointly surveyed 20 spots in Dhaka city that included residential areas, academic institutions and hospitals where the least noises are desirable. In these areas, sound levels should be within 45 decibels, but the survey found average sound level 75 decibels near Oxford International School in Dhanmondi, 86 decibels near BIRDEM hospital and 76 decibels near Viqarunnessa Noon School and College. In what should be a purely residential area at Kalyanpur, the survey found the average sound level at 80 decibels. The average sound level in other residential areas comes near to this level or even surpassed it in some cases. Noise pollution not only leads to gradual hearing loss. It also creates other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, palpitation, loss of concentration, headache, irritability, insomnia and other forms of physical and mental sicknesses. Thus, it is high time to take the proposed noise pollution act out of the freezer and adopt and implement it. Noise pollution occurs not only on roads from car honking but also from indiscriminate use of loudspeakers by vendors and others, industrial activities in residential areas, etc. All of these other sources of noise pollution must also be well regulated through comprehensive legislation.
The government makes a move in some cases to address issues of significance to the people. But one step forward is more than offset by five steps taken backwards. There is no other way to explain the inexcusable lethargy in pushing through a piece of legislation considered as vital from the standpoint of public health to which the government seemed responsive, made an initiative to create it and then for no good reason has been sitting on it. The government decided years ago that it would make laws to control noise pollution. Accordingly, the draft of an act was prepared that recommended Tk 10,000 as fine and maximum six months of imprisonment for producing noise higher than the permissible limits. But for unknown reasons the act in draft form has not progressed since then. Unlike in other areas, there are probably no powerful and influential vested interest groups who would want such legislation frustrated. Why then, this foot dragging with this act which can be of great value to millions and millions of people who are progressively losing their hearing abilities from the rising noise pollution ? The Society for Assistance of Hearing Impaired Children (SAHIC) conducted a year long survey at 21 spots in the city to find out the impact of noise pollution on the residents. The survey result showed that hearing ability of 76.9 per cent of the surveyed people was damaged from continuous noise pollution. A private university and a non governmental organization jointly surveyed 20 spots in Dhaka city that included residential areas, academic institutions and hospitals where the least noises are desirable. In these areas, sound levels should be within 45 decibels, but the survey found average sound level 75 decibels near Oxford International School in Dhanmondi, 86 decibels near BIRDEM hospital and 76 decibels near Viqarunnessa Noon School and College. In what should be a purely residential area at Kalyanpur, the survey found the average sound level at 80 decibels. The average sound level in other residential areas comes near to this level or even surpassed it in some cases. Noise pollution not only leads to gradual hearing loss. It also creates other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, palpitation, loss of concentration, headache, irritability, insomnia and other forms of physical and mental sicknesses. Thus, it is high time to take the proposed noise pollution act out of the freezer and adopt and implement it. Noise pollution occurs not only on roads from car honking but also from indiscriminate use of loudspeakers by vendors and others, industrial activities in residential areas, etc. All of these other sources of noise pollution must also be well regulated through comprehensive legislation.