Md Mahabub Alam :
Not only the volume of high sound has risen in the city, the sound pollution is also on increase severely, as the authorities could not implement Sound Pollution Controlling Act-2006, said a survey report conducted by Save The Environment Movement in a recent time.
Scrutinising sound limit in the different parts of the city, the organisation has recorded the limit of sound that is one and a half to two multiplies higher than the tolerable limit.
Blood pressure, heart failure, insomnia, declining hearing power, waning attention, headache, petulant, tiresome, abnormality, and physical and mental problems spring from such pollution, the report says.
It has recorded 84-100 decibel sound in the peaceful area at daytime, 84-93 in the residential area, 88-102 in the mixed area, 86-103 in the commercial area, which are one and a half to two multiplies higher than the tolerable limit.
The rate of dumbness among the children, the study says, will go out of limit if the prevailing sound pollution cannot be stopped. Even, the children will grow amid a cruel mentality and inattentive in study.
Another survey by Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) Department of Bangabadhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) last year said, one-third people of the country suffer from hearing related problem while 9.6 per cent are the ‘hearing autistic’.
Besides, Bangladesh has gone up with its hearing autistic throughout the northeast Asia that is stated to be 2.5 per cent more than other countries. This is from the sound pollution.
World Health Organisation (WHO) has said, the dumbness is rapidly increasing in the world. About 15 per cent people, mostly children, are suffering from hearing problem while five per cent from dumbness, which is affecting their daily activities seriously.
As per survey report conducted by WHO in 2002, the hearing problem was 7.9 per cent in Bangladesh and 6.3 in India. People can lose their hearing power forever in case of exposing 60 to 100 decibel sound regularly.
According to the Sound Pollution Controlling Act-2006, no one is allowed to blow horn within one hundred metres of hospitals, educational institutions, offices and courts. The area where these institutions are established is called ‘mixed area’.
Environment Directorate, City Corporations, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Local Government Administration and law enforcement agencies, municipalities and union parishads have been directed to find out mixed, commercial, residential and other areas and install sign boards there. The Act states one to six months’ imprisonment with Tk five-10 thousand fine if anyone does not maintain it.
