Health experts and academics stressed the need for forging social resistance to fight against the sound pollution to save people from being infected with various physical and mental disorders.
They came up with the importance while addressing a training workshop for the students in tackling noise pollution at the auditorium of Rajshahi Agrani School and College Tuesday afternoon.
The Department of Environment (DoE) organized the training session in association with its Integrated and Partnership in Controlling Sound Pollution Project.
Prof Subrata Ghosh of the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital talked about various demerits of sound pollution during his keynote presentation as resource person.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Kolyan Chowdhury and Principal of the college Saiful Haque also spoke on the occasion with DoE Deputy Director Mahmuda Parveen in the chair.
The meeting was told that sound pollution is the main reason behind 30 major diseases in the human body and around five percent of the population is affected physically and mentally by the pollution.
It was also informed that the project aims to highlight the noise pollution issue by measuring its effects on children and to raise awareness and develop a strategy paper on possible interventions.
It also aims to align stakeholders - including local government, people and NGOs - with the issue.
Prof Subrata Ghosh said sound pollution causes multifarious physical and mental disorders of people. Utmost emphasis should be given on creating mass-awareness with full-length enforcement of the existing laws to protect public health from the adverse effects of sound pollution, he said.
Mentioning that excessive traffic noise disrupts people's lives, he said: "Now, it's the time to forge social resistance against noise pollution for a sustainable socio-economic development. We should build safe havens for the future generations."