Artice: Loudspeakers and Noise Pollution. Daily Sun
Loudspeakers and noise pollution
Ali Hamid Khan
23 January, 2016 12:00 AM
All the time I thought cities never slept especially our
capital city Dhaka, there were always activities with people engrossed
in doing business, chatting and having tea at stalls late at night and
cars and trucks plying throughout the night even creating traffic jams
in the dead of night. Dhaka is one of those major cities where people go
around their normal business, partying, eating out with friends and
families and even making social visits meeting friends frequenting
coffee houses late at night. Even heard there are some metropolitans
where people instead of daytime go to visit friends at night to avoid
traffic tailbacks.
But this time I discovered even villages stay up at night with bazaars buzzing with activities and blaring loudspeakers going on and on without respite throughout the night keeping everybody up because in winter the sound is clearer and more distinct; like it is a few yard away. The nettlesome noise of the loudspeakers drives away the sleep. Chanting, singing and giving lectures and making noises in night programmes make it impossible to sleep. Everyone seemingly become nocturnal. People struggle to sleep but some people without any consideration for others, unaware of the negative impact of loudspeakers going on endlessly, carry on this injurious practice with disdain and antipathy. Especially the sick and old have to put up most with this nuisance. Lack of sleep and even no sleep caused by these unsocial activities lead to high blood pressure and other maladies. It also aggravates the illness one is already suffering from. Due to this people become cranky and unable to give maximum to their daily work resulting in losses and fall in productivity it has domino effect and eventually the whole country suffers bearing the economic brunt due to this irritant. It is a public health issue that is adversely affecting the lives of people. People continuously exposed to noise suffer from hearing loss, high stress level, mood swings, hypertension, depression, lost sleep and productivity. In children, it results in slowed learning. Condition such as aggression is also commonly found among people who live in areas where loudspeakers are regularly used. Unwanted noise causes species to communicate louder which is known as Lombard effect. Loudspeaker is epidemic in the country. For the sake of peace, mental and physical health and protection of environment it must be stopped or use of it must be brought under control to avoid the harmful effects arising from its common use.
Noise pollution is highly hazardous; we just can’t ignore it. We must take it up with seriousness and sense of urgency; a solution must be found to curtail it. It is incumbent upon the government and local administration to address this issue and deliver the people from this unacceptable practice which is not allowed in any modern and developed countries because awareness has come with knowledge and experience but in our case we are still ignorant to even consider it as any serious issue, we regard it as a fundamental right of the people, there is never any voice raised against it or any execution of law to stop this malice and free the society from its negative impact. It has become part of our life and all programmes that are organized for the public or even for private or family gathering it is unthinkable to do without loudspeakers.
We have enough information about this pollution. A certain level of noise is damaging to health physically and psychologically; so why the delay or prevarication? Can’t we confront it and stop its rampant practice which is making life miserable for most of us? In the name of entertainment, disseminating information and politics it is blatantly used. People, due to fear or ignorance, don’t protest and thus it continues unobstructed.
In the village this time winter when I went to relax hoping to get away from the city’s noise, pollution dust and din I realized it was no better even in the remote rural side. Loudspeakers went on incessantly from all directions throughout the night and stopped only in the morning when it was time to get up. So, actually the situation was that people, when it was time to sleep and rest were tossing in bed and when it was time to get up and work were groggy and sleepy. This time my visit to the hinterland was an eye opener for me, I realized even the country sides were not free from noise pollution or air pollution. There are blaring loudspeakers hammering away and brick fields at the centre of villages spewing toxic smoke gobbling up arable lands, polluting lakes and seriously jeopardizing agricultural produce. The country side abounds with motorized vehicles causing traffic jams. They are found everywhere even in the hilly tea garden areas with noisy horns and black smoke filling up the atmosphere causing both noise and air pollution. Surprisingly people have resigned to the situation. If anyone complains about the deleterious use of loudspeakers the explanation is simple it is done for a good cause as a part of social activity imparting knowledge or entertaining people. If anyone wants to express his discontent quickly refrains from it fearing backlash and inviting people’s chagrin and annoyance, whereas in religion it is clear neighbours should be loved and respected and not subjected to such acts which become bane of their existence.
The government and private organizations should step up movements and drives to dissuade people from their unrestricted use and devise laws to discourage them. Hopefully like other countries we will also realize that we can’t carry on the way we do disregarding people’s convenience and abusing nature destroying the natural harmony using loudspeakers blatantly and making brick fields in the middle of populated villages with agricultural land and water bodies around which are the life line of the populace. Such disdain and insouciance do not augur well for the nation. Loudspeakers should have specific time for their use and we should have silence zones. Noise pollution is human created; it is unwanted and must be checked for the physical and mental damage it can be responsible for. Patients, students old and young are all victims of noise pollution by loudspeakers. It is time to ponder and act for the good of all.
But this time I discovered even villages stay up at night with bazaars buzzing with activities and blaring loudspeakers going on and on without respite throughout the night keeping everybody up because in winter the sound is clearer and more distinct; like it is a few yard away. The nettlesome noise of the loudspeakers drives away the sleep. Chanting, singing and giving lectures and making noises in night programmes make it impossible to sleep. Everyone seemingly become nocturnal. People struggle to sleep but some people without any consideration for others, unaware of the negative impact of loudspeakers going on endlessly, carry on this injurious practice with disdain and antipathy. Especially the sick and old have to put up most with this nuisance. Lack of sleep and even no sleep caused by these unsocial activities lead to high blood pressure and other maladies. It also aggravates the illness one is already suffering from. Due to this people become cranky and unable to give maximum to their daily work resulting in losses and fall in productivity it has domino effect and eventually the whole country suffers bearing the economic brunt due to this irritant. It is a public health issue that is adversely affecting the lives of people. People continuously exposed to noise suffer from hearing loss, high stress level, mood swings, hypertension, depression, lost sleep and productivity. In children, it results in slowed learning. Condition such as aggression is also commonly found among people who live in areas where loudspeakers are regularly used. Unwanted noise causes species to communicate louder which is known as Lombard effect. Loudspeaker is epidemic in the country. For the sake of peace, mental and physical health and protection of environment it must be stopped or use of it must be brought under control to avoid the harmful effects arising from its common use.
Noise pollution is highly hazardous; we just can’t ignore it. We must take it up with seriousness and sense of urgency; a solution must be found to curtail it. It is incumbent upon the government and local administration to address this issue and deliver the people from this unacceptable practice which is not allowed in any modern and developed countries because awareness has come with knowledge and experience but in our case we are still ignorant to even consider it as any serious issue, we regard it as a fundamental right of the people, there is never any voice raised against it or any execution of law to stop this malice and free the society from its negative impact. It has become part of our life and all programmes that are organized for the public or even for private or family gathering it is unthinkable to do without loudspeakers.
We have enough information about this pollution. A certain level of noise is damaging to health physically and psychologically; so why the delay or prevarication? Can’t we confront it and stop its rampant practice which is making life miserable for most of us? In the name of entertainment, disseminating information and politics it is blatantly used. People, due to fear or ignorance, don’t protest and thus it continues unobstructed.
In the village this time winter when I went to relax hoping to get away from the city’s noise, pollution dust and din I realized it was no better even in the remote rural side. Loudspeakers went on incessantly from all directions throughout the night and stopped only in the morning when it was time to get up. So, actually the situation was that people, when it was time to sleep and rest were tossing in bed and when it was time to get up and work were groggy and sleepy. This time my visit to the hinterland was an eye opener for me, I realized even the country sides were not free from noise pollution or air pollution. There are blaring loudspeakers hammering away and brick fields at the centre of villages spewing toxic smoke gobbling up arable lands, polluting lakes and seriously jeopardizing agricultural produce. The country side abounds with motorized vehicles causing traffic jams. They are found everywhere even in the hilly tea garden areas with noisy horns and black smoke filling up the atmosphere causing both noise and air pollution. Surprisingly people have resigned to the situation. If anyone complains about the deleterious use of loudspeakers the explanation is simple it is done for a good cause as a part of social activity imparting knowledge or entertaining people. If anyone wants to express his discontent quickly refrains from it fearing backlash and inviting people’s chagrin and annoyance, whereas in religion it is clear neighbours should be loved and respected and not subjected to such acts which become bane of their existence.
The government and private organizations should step up movements and drives to dissuade people from their unrestricted use and devise laws to discourage them. Hopefully like other countries we will also realize that we can’t carry on the way we do disregarding people’s convenience and abusing nature destroying the natural harmony using loudspeakers blatantly and making brick fields in the middle of populated villages with agricultural land and water bodies around which are the life line of the populace. Such disdain and insouciance do not augur well for the nation. Loudspeakers should have specific time for their use and we should have silence zones. Noise pollution is human created; it is unwanted and must be checked for the physical and mental damage it can be responsible for. Patients, students old and young are all victims of noise pollution by loudspeakers. It is time to ponder and act for the good of all.
posted by Nadir at 12:24 AM
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