Terrorism of sound pollution

The Environment Conservation Law in 1997 split the capital in five zones and set a permissible sound limit. For the residential areas, it was 50 Decibel (dB) while for the commercial areas it was 75 dB. The limit for silent zones was 45 dB, residential-cum-commercial areas 60 dB and for night it was 10dB.

However, no one seems to care about the rules, using loud speakers in programmes, be it a political gathering or a social one.

The situation is so deplorable that an elderly person recently died of a cardiac arrest while protesting at sound pollution. We have to raise awareness among the citizens so that this does not happen again. The law enforcement people, too, have to come forward to implement the laws.  

Experts at a discussion at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Friday made some recommendations that may play a significant role in containing sound pollution. But who will bell the cat? According to a World Health Organisation report, 60 dB sound may hamper human beings' hearing ability while 100 dB might leave them impaired. In Dhaka, the situation is way too worse. Nobody is adhering to the rules for a silent zone even. The use of the banned hydrolic horns is also on the rise.

Experts say the women and the children are the worst sufferers of sound pollution. Traffic police, rickshaw-pullers or drivers, workers or people living close to the roads are also greatly suffering. Immediate steps should be taken to save the Dhaka citizens from this silent killer. Exemplary punishment should be handed to people flouting the rules.