Editorial
A much-neglected health issue
Sound beyond permissible decibel needs curbing
The level of attention given to sound pollution can be gauged from observing "International Noise Awareness Day" for the first time in Bangladesh on Wednesday. The inadequacy of the country approach, however, runs far deeper than observance of an international ritual.
In Bangladesh, neither standards have been set to control noise pollution, nor enforced, even though a law is in existence, toothless to be sure. This is practically a low-priority area vis-à-vis the concerns over air, water and soil pollution. But it is important to prioritise noise pollution in the same bracket as the other sources of environmental hazards.
Only then the issue will graduate from mere academic discussion and protestations of environmental activists to the level of being a major preoccupation of the government and the private sector as well. Structurally, a nodal agency should be created under the purview of the Department of Environment (DoE). It will monitor noise levels and disseminate information to a designated authority for enforcement of standards. At one level, the ward commissioners will have to be made responsible for any excessive noise generated in his or her area. At another level, the public should be sensitised about hazards posed by sound pollution so that they themselves can resist it. The need for civil consciousness is key there. Basically, reckless use of mike, sound of industrial machines and hooting of transports are some of the major irritants to the auditory nerves of citizens.
In a thickly populous city as Dhaka with its low level of public consciousness about noise pollution in particular we need a three-pronged approach: First, media needs to be harnessed to popularise the concepts of protection against sound pollution. Secondly, we should put in place a well-defined policy backed by an adequate law to enforce environmental standards. Last but not least, stronger partnerships should be built among organisations working on curbing noise pollution, as suggested by the DoE chief.
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