Noise Pullution Rising Rapidly

City dwellers trapped in sound level twice than tolerable

Staff Correspondent

Dhaka City dwellers have been putting up with two times more sound volume than the tolerable level of volume set by the Environment Preservation Regulation 1997, a study on the degree of noise pollution revealed yesterday.

The study measuring the degree of noise pollution in 20 different areas of the city found that people in most cases have to bear 13-40 decibel more sound volume in silent zone, residential area, mixed zone, commercial and industrial areas than the degree of volume set by the law.

Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB) and The University of Asia and Pacific conducted the study.

At a press conference titled "Noise Pollution: Topsy-turvy Public Life and Our Duty" at the Jatiya Press Club in the city, the speakers said the noise pollution causes hearing impairment, headache, bad temper and inattentiveness and badly affects the patient of heart diseases and students of different school and colleges.

Project Manager of WBB Amit Ranjan Dey presented the summary of the study. He urged the government to finalise the draft regulation to control noise pollution and to implement it.

They also said the tolerable sound volume is set at 45 decibel in city's silent zone, but it is quite double in the areas, especially in front of the schools and colleges.

In residential areas the degree of volume is set at 50 decibel from 6:00am to 9:00pm, but the average volume recorded in the study was at 71 decibel in Dhanmondi and 80 decibel in Kalyanpur.

On the other hand, the sound volume should be 60 decibel in the morning and 50 decibel at night in mixed areas, but the average level is 78 decibel in Mohammadpur and Science Laboratory, 82 decibel in Sadarghat and 81 decibel in Mouchak area.

The average sound volume is 78 decibel in Motijheel commercial area and 81decibel in Tejgaon industrial area during daytime, which sometimes goes up to 97 decibel from morning to noon.

The study recommends that effective law should be enacted and mass-awareness campaign be launched against the havoc of noise pollution through mass media and penalty be meted out to those who honk horns for nothing.

The study further recommends that a cell should be formed to take the complaints and to monitor the total traffic system, and drivers should be trained so that they don't hoot horns unnecessarily and specific time should be allocated for construction work, which creates much noise pollution.

"Research or analysis on economic loss for noise pollution is yet to be carried in the country, but it is important as the hearing capability of people has been decreasing and a correlation is needed to find out if it has any impact on people's earning capability," said Prof Muhammad Jubair Bin Alam of BUET.

Prof Vice Chancellor of Asia Pacific University Dr MR Kabir was also present.