Editorial
Noise pollution, the least addressed issue
Enforcement of law and mass awareness needed
Observing the 15th International Noise Awareness Day, 2010, through a sit-in programme organised by a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the speakers underscored the need for enforcement of the law against noise pollution and creating mass awareness on the issue.
While admitting the importance of the occasion, one cannot but say that the audience will forget it as soon as the day is over. And in spite of the general concern and suffering of the people, blaring of horns by vehicles, loudspeakers blasting out songs and tirades and booming stereos in cars and shops etc, will continue to pound the eardrums of the hapless public.
Though a very serious issue that has important bearing on the health of citizens thus exposed to sound levels beyond the tolerable limits, yet curbing of noise is still a least addressed matter. And sad to say, even environmentalists, who have successfully influenced the government and mobilised the people against other forms of pollution, have done precious little so far to protect the public from increasing level of noise pollution everywhere.
It is therefore time the environmentalists gave a more focused attention to the issue of noise pollution as a major threat to human health and linked it with the general environmental concerns on an equal footing.
The job, however, is not done with the giving of recognition to the noise threat by the environmentalists. In fact, it has to be matched by appropriate actions. For all we know, the government has a law to control noise. But the law is yet to be made conspicuous by its enforcement. As suggested by the speakers on the Awareness Day, traffic police and mobile courts should be mobilised to take action against horn-blaring vehicles. But what about bringing other sources of pollution such as grinding and welding machines, the blasting loudspeakers and other producers of noises also to book?
It would necessitate providing the law with necessary teeth for its effective enforcement by the government. At the same time, it calls for making a proper assessment of the level of noise that is most hazardous to health and identifying their main sources with a view to devising ways to combat them.
The curbing of noise pollution, however, cannot be left to the government alone. Citizens and communities would have to come forward for the desired change. Campaign to create mass awareness of the people about this yet another health risk should go hand in hand with the enforcement measures. On this score, the NGOs, the print and the electronic media as well as the various publicity organs of the government need to come in a big way to mobilise the people to curb this grave threat to their health and peaceful and productive living.
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