Noise Pollution

Custodio Jaques           

Many views on noise pollution were expressed in your esteemed newspaper this year (6/3/17 and 7/12/17) and in the past (29/6/15) by very concerned citizens to free Goa from noise that has very adverse environmental influences.

All over the world, they have noise generation laws. They have noise ordinances that give noise control officers and police the power to investigate noise complaints and enforcement power to abate the offending noise source through shut downs, confiscation and hefty fines.

The Goa government should pass a noise ordinance with clear definition of acoustic and define categories of noise generation to protect its citizens from these adverse environmental influences without any delay.

When the ordinance is promulgated it should be easily enforce. Care must be taken to make sure that sound levels are physically realizable. For example requiring the maximum sound level in a residential zone to be 35dB(A) considers the sound emitted to be in violation if the sound is plainly audible within a dwelling at any time, day or night and the need for a sound level meter is avoided and easily enforced even by a simple policeman.

Noise is one of these factors that directly and adversely effects person’s health like hearing loss, heightened blood pressure, stress, sleep interference, distraction, annoyance and even death due to physiological effect. Citizens in northern coastal area were harassed a lot over the years and even a case was filed in the Court over the noise – Death due to Noise. Now they have sigh of relief as senior police officers control the noise pollution in no time.

One of these officers should be transferred to south as the noise pollution especially in Margao and surrounding areas like Borda and Margao is unbearable due to the advent of fraudsters who claim to be preacher, pastor, priest, swami or baba and try to heal people in the name of God by hoodwinking innocent poor people with drugs and ear piercing noise of more than 200dB(A) which disturb or annoy reasonable persons of normal sensitivities or causes or tend to cause an adverse effect on public health or endanger or injures people or even kill people. 

Also motor bike riders with modified mufflers should be fined heavily and the bike confiscated.

It is really shameful in a small state like Goa having 40 elected members and 2 Collectors not being able to control the noise pollution!