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Lenin Rahman :
Physical experts have underscored the need for tackling excessive noise pollution promptly in a bid to ensure the security of public health in terms of protecting the physical and mental steadiness of the city people who are gradually losing their individual productivity, resulting from the adverse impact of sound pollution.
Contemporary noise pollution went beyond the standard level for a long, imposing a severe threat to the health of the city people as the rising noise pollution is working as a component of the silent killer.
Despite conducting multifarious positive approaches by the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the city people are still maintaining their livelihood to compromise the unbearable pain of excessive noise pollution.
The Department of Environment (DoE) is implementing an ongoing project titled ‘Integrated and participatory project to control sound Pollution’. The DoE is conducting an anti-noise pollution campaign in 64 districts of the country through implementing projects.
As part of the initiative, the public department is holding workshops and seminars to raise public awareness against noise pollution.
The department already provided the training of some 64,000 students in this regard.
Moreover, the authority provided the training of some 19,200 drivers so that they play a significant role to control noise pollution. The department also trained some 3,8,40 government officials on the adverse impact of noise pollution. The authority also provided the taring of 3,8,40 numbers of construction workers.
Besides, the DoE also provided a training program for some 3,8,40 numbers of professionals, traders, and teachers to control excessive noise pollution.
Talking to the Daily Tribunal, Department of Environment Director Masuma Khanam has underscored the need for raising public awareness to control the ongoing noise pollution.
The department is going to hold seminars and workshops at a large scale to raise public nearness against noise pollution, informed the DoE Director.
Considering the vulnerability of noise pollution, Masuma Khanam urged the media to work together for controlling noise pollution. “Media role is crucial to raise public awareness against noise pollution.
A DoE official told on the condition of anonymity that the department is holding workshops and rallies at district levels to raise public awareness.
The authority is distributing posters, leaflets, and stickers to raise awareness against noise pollution, informed the official.
The authority is conducting regular campaigns against hydraulic horns to prevent noise pollution.
On the other hand, the Department of Environment (DoE) is conducting mobile courts in different areas of the country to curb noise pollution. During the drive, the DoE destroyed many hydraulic horns and fined many persons in Dhaka and Chattogram.
Concentrating on ‘The International Noise Awareness Day’, the DoE is also sending to cell phone users and publishing various awareness-raising advertisements in the media.
Actually, the level of noise in almost all areas of the capital exceeded the standard level as per the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2006.
The excessive noise is damaging a special type of cell in the inner ear of human beings and there is also a risk of permanent hearing loss, said Nusrat Jahan Orthi, a physical expert told to the Daily Tribunal.
“If the ongoing situation prevails in the long run, most city people will gradually witness hearing loss”, she added.
Nusrat Jahan mentioned that the noise level is almost 2 times higher in most of the areas of the capital. She has underscored the need for tackling the preventive measures of noise pollution immediately to ensure the security of public health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), generally, 60 dB of sound can make a man deaf temporarily and 100 dB of sound can cause completely.
It is the harsh reality that the noise of any busy street in Dhaka has been estimated at 60 to 80 Db. In this connection, an a-weighted decibel (dBA or dB(A)) is an expression of the relative loudness of sounds as perceived by the human ear.
Meanwhile, In the Dhaka South City Corporation area, the noise level was tracked at 76.80 decibels. It is highest in some populous areas of the city, such as New Market, Naya Paltan and Press Club intersection. Noise pollution in these areas has been recorded at 100.65 decibels, 92.22 decibels, and 90.03 decibels respectively.
Under the DSCC, the least polluted areas are Abul Hotel intersection, Dainik Bangla and Zero Point. Noise pollution in these areas was recorded at 78.27 decibels, 77.92 decibels, and 77.60 decibels respectively.
Meanwhile, the average noise level in the Dhaka North City Corporation area was found to be 80.56 decibels, which is higher than in the south. The highest noise was tracked at the Mohammadpur Bus Stand intersection, Shia Masjid intersection, and Mascot Plaza intersection. Pollution levels in these areas were recorded at 99.77 decibels, 93.05 decibels, and 90.27 decibels, in that order.
And the least polluted areas are Mirpur Beribandh intersection, Rabindra Sarani intersection, and Gulshan-2, where the level of noise pollution is 74.86 decibels, 75.25 decibels, and 76.01 decibels respectively.
SM Mijanur Rahman, social experts blamed the transportation systems specifically traffic congestion as the main source of noise pollution.
Apart from this, the construction of buildings, highways, and streets is one of the major sources of noise pollution.
On the other hand, industrial operations, loudspeakers, plumbing, boilers, generators, air conditioners, fans, and vacuum cleaners are the components of noise pollution.
Besides, slum areas particularly congested houses add to the existing noise pollution.
A contemporary innovative style of begging particularly the use of hand miking is also creating noise pollution.
Meanwhile, a Department of Environment broachers disclosed that noise pollution can damage physiological and psychological health.
Narrating the negative impact of noise pollution, the public department report disclosed that excessive noise pollution is the cause of temporary or permanent deafness of people.
High blood pressure, stress-related illness, and productivity loss are the problems related to noise pollution, said the report adding that loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping pattern and may lead to irritable and uncomfortable situations.
Due to the adverse impact, noise pollution is also the cause of memory loss, severe depression, and panic attacks.
Social experts also mentioned that wildlife faces far more problems than humans because of noise pollution since they are more dependent on sound.
Considering the severe public suffering, experts opined that it is a time-befitting demand to take strict measures to prevent the ongoing pollution in the form of noise pollution. As more people are entering the city every day, the level of noise pollution is also increasing at the same ratio.
Sharif Jamil, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) urged to implement the law according to tackle noise pollution. The use of banned hydraulic horns needs to control strictly to reduce noise pollution, he mentioned.
The awareness of passengers, drivers, and car owners is a must to tackle the ongoing crisis of noise pollution, he added.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Department of Otolaryngology Professor Dr. Abul Hasnat Joardar shared his personal experience in this connection.
Some 9.6 percent of people are suffering from some level of deafness, he said adding that noise pollution directly causes deafness by gradually destroying the ability of the ear to hear.