The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) while educating students of Class X on ‘Noise’ teaches about ‘How much sound is too much? At what level does sound become noise?… It is said that most people speak in a range between 45 and 75 decibels. Noise damages ears at 85 decibels. Hearing loss can begin when the noise level goes above 100 decibels, and actual pain is felt at 140 decibels. Some people, however, may experience pain at a lower level’.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) teach students right from primary classes in a staggered manner about sound, noise and then pollution. This is indeed an attempt at creating informed citizens for the future who will abide by the social norms and public welfare.
As per existing Indian laws, in residential areas it is 55 dB and 45 dB during daytime and night, respectively. In commercial areas, it is 65 dB and 55 dB, while in industrial areas, the permissible limit is particularly 75 dB during the day and 70 dB at night. However, as human civilization has progressed and ‘advanced’, there are several human causes which create serious problems of noise pollution such as industrial sounds, transport sounds, agricultural machines, and the one major problem that everyone is impacted about is the ear-shattering sound spewed out from loudspeakers and crackers, etc.
Noise pollution affects both health and behaviour. While it can damage physiological health, noise pollution is associated with several health conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful and disturbing effect. Noise pollution has also been associated with faster cognitive decline.
While the elderly may have cardiac problems due to noise, the effects that noise has on children may be permanent. Noise poses a serious threat to a child’s physical and psychological health, and may negatively interfere with a child’s learning and behaviour.
On the night of September 25 this year during Ganesh immersion in Sangli district of Maharashtra, two men died allegedly due to exposure to high decibel DJ sound systems during the immersion procession. According to the villagers and relatives of the two deceased, the high decibel sound during the Ganesh immersion processions was the reason behind their death.
Since both the deceased were suffering from other ailments at the time of their death, neither the doctors and nor the police attributed the cause of death to be the high decibel sound during the processions. The impact of noise pollution and the problems are difficult to quantify as unless there is a direct impact on the hearing, the rest of the problems can be attributed to the health issues of the individual.
Under Section 30(4) of the Police Act, the Superintendent of Police is authorised to regulate the extent music could be used in the streets on the occasion of festivals and ceremonies. Despite the provisions, from festivals to processions, music events to occasions such as burning the effigy of Narkasur, the police force is nowhere to be seen to curb the high decibel pollution in the neighbourhoods.
On October 16 this year, the High Court of Bombay at Goa directed authorities to confiscate and seal equipment of the establishments found playing loud music beyond stipulated 10 pm thereby violating noise pollution rules. The Court directed Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), both District Magistrates, police and other noise pollution monitoring authorities to carry out surprise checks at Anjuna, Arambol and Morjim in Pernem taluka and to submit a report about the noise pollution status, when a contempt petition was filed against the government and agencies for failure to curb noise pollution in the beach belt.
The Court had earlier stated that the police authorities were bent upon not taking action against the violators of the noise pollution rules framed by the government. The Court also asked the police to take action against loud music without waiting for written complaints from the residents.
Populations across the globe aspire and are in a race to prove to the rest of the world that they are the most law-abiding citizens, irrespective of the type of governance model they live in – democracy, authoritarian or autocracy. But the government of the day and its agencies, drag their feet on taking action against the fraction of population that creates the chaos and the cacophony. The machoism at display with the backing of the absolute power without accountability, is a perfect recipe for social chaos.
