Sound pollution: A severe health hazard

Tag : Vehicles, Scooter
Farhad Tuhin



Level of sound pollution (also termed as noise pollution) in Dhakacity is now a major concern for the general people because it hasalready exceeded the tolerance level. Because of the soundpollution millions of people in Bangladesh are exposed to a numberof health risks- from deafness to heart attack. On city streetsnoise pollution can be caused by hydraulic horns of vehicles (themost harmful offenders), microphones and cassette players. Thehydraulic horns used by buses, trucks and scooters in the crowdedcity streets are dangerous for human being. This is also how noisepollution in Dhaka City is affecting the hearing power of thousandsof children everyday. Noise intensity is measured in decibel (dB)units. At 45 dB of noise the average person generally cannot sleep.At 120 dB the ear registers pain; hearing damage begins at a muchlower level, about 85 dB. The horns especially cause serious damageto children. Experts say, if a child below three years of age hearsa horn emitting 100 dB of noise from a close range, he or she mightlose his or her hearing power. A child's health may also beadversely affected by loud sounds from the radio, television,cassette players and microphones, the sound of mills and factoriesand loud noise.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), generally 60 dBsound can make a man deaf temporarily and 100 dB sound can causecomplete deafness. But the noise of any busy street in Dhaka hasbeen estimated at 60 to 80 dB, with the sound of vehicles being 95dB, loud speakers 90 to 100 dB, mills and factories 80 to 90 dB,restaurants and cinema halls 75 to 90 dB, festivals 85 to 90 dB,scooter or motorbike 87 to 92 dB and trucks and buses 92 to 94 dB.But the desired sound measure is 25 dB in the bedroom, 40 dB in thedining or drawing room, 35-40 dB in the office, 30-40 dB in theclass room, 35-40 dB in the library, 20-35 dB in hospital, 40-60 dBin a restaurant and 45 dB in the city at night. When the soundexceeds this limit, there is noise pollution. Noise pollutionbeyond the limit destroys hearing and might even lead to the losingof one's mental balance. Noise pollution also causes peevishtemperament, affects lungs, hampers the intellect of the childrenand makes them apathetic towards their studies.

The DOE (Department of Environment) states that noise causes mentaland physical illness among the people. It causes high bloodpressure, headache, indigestion, tachycardia, peptic ulcer, andalso affects sound sleep. Anyone may become deaf for the time beingif 100 dB or more noise pollution occurs for half an hour or morein any place.

Working in an atmosphere of loud noise for a long period can causecomplete deafness to any person. Any sort of noise pollutionseriously affects expecting mothers. It has been observed thatpregnant mothers living near big airports give birth to morecrippled, deformed and immature children than those living in otherplaces.

According to the DOE, the perfect sound condition for Bangladesh is45 dB for the daytime and 35 dB for the night in peaceful areas, 50dB for the daytime and 40 dB for the night in residential areas, 60dB for the daytime and 50 dB for the night in mixed areas(residential, commercial and industrial localities), 70 dB for thedaytime and 60 dB for the night in commercial areas and 75 dB forthe daytime and 70 dB for the night in industrial areas. Whileanother survey of DOE shows that noise pollution has increasedalarmingly in different parts of Dhaka City.

This survey indicates that at Motijheel Government High School thenoise level is 83 dB during daytime and 79 dB at night, at AzimpurGirls' College 80 dB during daytime and 74 dB at night, at ShaheenSchool the noise level is 83 dB during daytime and 74 dB at night,at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University 82 dB during day and74 dB at night, at Dhanmondi Government Boys School 80 dB duringdaytime and 75 dB at night, at Tejgaon Girls' College 75 dB duringdaytime and 67 dB at night, at Shishu Hospital 72 dB during the dayand 69 dB at night, at Dhaka Medical College Hospital 80 dB duringthe day and 69 dB at night and at Mitford Hospital 76 dB during theday and 73 dB at night.

However, the following recommendations might be helpful in order toreduce the sound at tolerance level: (1) Implementation of theNoise Control Rules, 2004; (2) Complete banning of the vehicularhydraulic horns in any place of the country; (3) Expanding themonitoring programs at the main traffic points to determine whetherthe vehicles follow the orders or not; (4) Improving trafficcontrol; (5) To be relocated the bus/truck terminals at the outside of Dhaka city; (6) Banning the loudspeakers from processionsand meetings, high volume of audio players from roadside smallbusiness enterprises; (7) Banning industrial activity inresidential areas; (8) To be established underground and overheadtransportation system in the city; (9) Train movement within thecity areas to Kamlapoor must also be restricted from 6AM to 6PM.Beyond these hours all trains bound for Dhaka must terminatejourney at Tongi, Uttara or Cantonment station; and (10) Growingpublic awareness on sound pollution.

Although urbanization, industrialization and motorization areessential for economic development, urban people always intend forcalm and quiet life. Noise pollution is a serious and neglectedissue in Bangladesh and it is a severe health hazard. For thephysical and mental health of the urban people, particularly of thechildren, it is imperative for the decision makers, leaders,planners, engineers and concerned persons to keep the noise levelwithin the acceptable limits. It is time for NGOs, the media, therelated individuals and the Government of Bangladesh to worktogether to reduce the noise level so that in the long run peoplecan eradicate noise pollution from the country once for all.

(Writer is a professional geologist Email: farhadgeo @ yahoo.com)