Md. Zillur Rahaman :
Our favorite capital city Dhaka has also occupied the top position in the world in terms of noise pollution after getting the status of a city of polluted air. This information was recently revealed in a report released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The report, entitled “Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches” on noise pollution, provides detailed information on how noise pollution is affecting people’s physical and mental health. According to the report, three of the top five cities in the world in terms of noise pollution are located in South Asia. Muradabad in Uttar Pradesh, India and Islamabad in Pakistan are ranked second and third respectively after Dhaka in terms of noise pollution. Rajshahi, another city in Bangladesh, is in the fourth place in terms of noise pollution. In fifth place is the city of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. The capital Dhaka has been ranked No. 1 in the list of the world’s top cities for air pollution more than once before and most recently in mid-March, Dhaka rose to the list of the world’s second most air polluted city. This is really a very painful and worrying.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, the acceptable level of indoor noise for humans is 55 decibels and 70 decibels for outdoor commercial area. But in Dhaka this level is 119 decibels and in Rajshahi it is 103 decibels. Major sources of noise pollution include noise emitted from vehicles during traffic jams, noise from airplanes, trains, factories and recreational activities. If these words exceed the standard, it endangers the physical and mental health of the people, the report said.
In fact, high levels of silent killing horns or similar levels of noise pollution are not new in many cities, including the capital, the long-standing accumulated problem has now taken an explosive shape. Noise from city vehicles, vehicle horns, microphones, loudspeakers, brick and stone crushing machines, generators, etc. has reached unbearable levels, causing serious harm to human physical and mental health. Every day thousands of children are losing their hearing due to noise pollution. Although there are various rules and regulations to control noise pollution, they are not being implemented at all. From the highways of Dhaka city to the residential areas – everywhere people are being affected by complex diseases due to noise pollution. Although hydraulic horns are prohibited to prevent physical and mental damage caused by noise pollution, vehicle owners and drivers do not comply. Even if it is forbidden to sound the horn in front of school or hospital, who cares! Continued traffic congestion has increased the level of noise pollution several times. The Department of the Environment is conducting campaigns to prevent noise pollution, imposing fines, but has not been able to stop noise pollution. Associated with the misery of the vehicle is the loud noise of the generator, which is being considered as one of the causes of environmental pollution.
Dhaka is one of the most populous and unplanned metropolis in the world. While medical treatment is going on in the hospital, teaching is going on in the educational institution, then a group of people are seen on the street giving lectures with microphones, bus and truck drivers are playing hydraulic horns and making noise inside the hospital from outside. The skyrocketing voice in political rallies is constantly embarrassing people. These images are very embarrassing and disturbing and need to be avoided. It seems that there is no one to watch and supervise these!
According to Bangladesh Environmental Movement (BAPA) sources, 12 types of environmental pollution are the cause of 30 serious diseases and noise pollution is one of them. The main source of noise pollution is car horns. In addition, brick breaking machines, generators, mic sound, factory noise, listening to loud music, etc. cause noise pollution in various ways. For some time, now it has become fashionable to sound the horn in a loud voice.
In order to bring the level of noise pollution to a tolerable level, it is essential for everyone to be aware, just as it is necessary for the concerned departments of the government to take necessary supervision and steps. However, any way it is required to get rid of noise pollution like air pollution and live safely.
(Zillur Rahaman is a banker and columnist).
