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‘Enforcement of law must to control noise pollution’


Published : 26 Jun 2021 09:28 PM | Updated : 26 Jun 2021 11:49 PM

“I was unaware that the noise that engine of vehicles makes also affects the drivers. I know that the noise disturbs the people outside the vehicles and disables them to focus on their thoughts while walking along the roads and footpaths, but I was unaware that the roar of vehicles affects people dangerously, said a driver.

“Now I have been aware about the serious impact of the noise pollution for both the drivers and the people and I will remain alert against resounding hydraulic horn,” the driver added.  

The bus driver in Dhaka sounded these words while expressing his opinion at a recent training workshop for drivers, organised by the Department of Environment (DoE). 

Ziaur Rahman Litu of environmental organisation WBB Trust told the Bangladesh Post that it has been proved from the driver’s opinion that alongside the enforcement of law, creating awareness among the people as well as the drivers and other concerned would play a vital role to control the noise pollution in Bangladesh. 

DoE’s Additional Director General Md Humayun Kabir echoed the same words and said that to curb the noise pollution created through resounding the horns of vehicles, the DoE has already provided training to about 1, 400 drivers through 14 training workshops. Training will be imparted to all transport drivers and workers of the country in phases to create awareness among them.

Noise pollution in the urban life is increasing to an intolerable level day by day. The government wants to bring it to a tolerable level by enforcing law and creating awareness, the DoE boss said. 

Experts said that the government’s move will bring fruitful result. They said that the noise that the engine produces is the main reason for noise pollution. If the drivers of vehicles properly know that interior noise is annoying for them and the noise makes them deconcentrated, they will be careful in reducing the use of hydraulic horn. Exterior noise disturbs the people outside the vehicles, but interior noise firstly affects the drivers, they said. 

Experts, doctors and environmentalists said that sometimes people are not aware of this noise, but in some cases, it can damage the ability of hearing, cause heart problems or have an impact on sleep patterns. So, alongside creating awareness, the noise pollution can be controlled through using different laws and regulations. 

According to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2006, the permissible sound level for Bangladesh is 50 decibels for day time and 40 decibels for night time in quiet areas, 70 decibels for day time and 60 decibels for night in commercial areas, and 75 decibels for daytime and 70 decibels for night in industrial areas. However, the noise pollution has reached its highest level of 120-130 decibels at some points in the capital city Dhaka.

The noise pollution is not only created by vehicles, industries, use of loudspeakers and instruments and machineries in construction work are also some other sources of noise pollution. 

According to the law, the highest punishment for the noise pollution is one-year of imprisonment and a Tk 5,000 fine, or both for the firsttime offence. For a second time offence, the punishment will be six-month imprisonment, or a Tk 10,000 fine, or the both.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has taken up an ‘Integrated and Participatory Project to Control Noise Pollution’ to reduce noise pollution to a tolerable level. The DoE is implementing the project. 

Ziaul Hasan, secretary of the ministry, said that his ministry is working to ensure a noise-pollution free city for the next generation. 

DoE’s officials said that the project involves collecting public opinion and implementing various awareness programmes in cooperation with the government officials, representatives of NGOs, teachers, imams, journalists and people of other professions to make them aware and receive opinions from them over noise pollution. 

However, the DoE launched the project at the field level through enforcing law. At least 2,000 mobile court and joint operations will be carried out across the country. Billboards and signboards would also be set up in certain areas on the roadside, while leaflets, stickers and training manuals will be distributed to raise awareness to control the noise pollution, said DoE’s Additional Director General and the Project Director Md Humayun Kabir. 

However, the existing laws are not fully sufficient to control the sound pollution. Experts said that necessary steps should be taken to enact new laws in this regard.