The sound of Tahsan singing “Alo” on the radio next door, the peaceful sound of birds chirping in the morning, the cool breeze coaxing a gentle rustling of the leaves; that’s how we imagine our mornings to begin.
Instead, we are greeted by honking and beeping of cars from the chaotic traffic, banging of metal in construction sites, slogans and chanting of people through miking for campaigns, elections, and advertisements.
Along with water and air pollution, noise pollution has become a hazard to the quality of life in Dhaka. In a city of more than 22.5 million people, noise pollution is already a given in Dhaka. As the most densely populated country in the world, Bangladesh has its number one cause of this issue served on a silver platter.
Not just exasperation
Noise pollution doesn’t only stand to be the cause of exasperation for the 22.5 million denizens of Dhaka, but is also the cause for some serious health risks.
The CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established that any amount of sound exceeding 85 dBA (A-weighted decibels) can cause damage to hearing slowly but surely, whereas, sounds below 70dBA are marked safe. In most parts of Dhaka, these sound levels are regularly exceeded.
Unbridled amounts of sound can cause serious mental and physical damage to the human body. Loud noises for a day leads to anxiety and stress whereas, frequent exposure to loud noise can cause a person’s sensitivity to stress to increase.
This leads to people being irritable, angry, and vexed, affecting their daily social and work life. Uncontrollable noise pollution can also hamper sleep for a lot of people, causing difficulty falling asleep or waking up too early.
For a lot of students and office employees, noise pollution makes it hard to cope with daily life. Concentration is a key for students to study, but with horns beeping at all hours, this is affecting their cognitive performance. Parents will have to think of including noise resistant rooms in their houses. This is not possible for most of the families residing in Dhaka but what other options are they left with?
Irreversible damage
Moreover, the physical damage it does to a body is irreversible. Starting from tinnitus (a continuous ringing in the ears) and paracusis (irregular hearing), it can also lead to complete hearing loss. According to research conducted by the University of Guelph in Canada, noise pollution can also increase the blood pressure for a lot of people. This can be more fatal for people with previous health conditions.
Noise pollution in Dhaka has been a menace for a while now, and the worst part is that most of the people don’t even understand the risks it brings and the importance of controlling it.
The table here offers a daily average of noise levels in different parts of the city.
Source:Society for Assistance to Hearing Impaired Children (SAHIC), Amit Ranjan Dey, Project Officer.While the recommended sound level rests at 70dBA, areas in Dhaka roll with noise levels above 100dBA. This not only calls for serious actions, but also for wide coverage of the issue in all platforms raising awareness.
There are solutions
There is plenty to be done to reduce noise pollution. The change starts with you.
If you drive a vehicle, you can ask your driver to not use the horn until it is necessary. If you are riding on public transportation, the same thing can be applied. A more effective solution is to plant more trees. Trees help in reducing noise levels in cities. By planting trees, noise levels will be decreased while also making the city more green.
The most important solution of all to be implemented in Bangladesh is to educate people about this issue. Children can be taught from a young age about the risks of noise pollution whereas bus drivers and car drivers should be trained to use horns only when necessary.
The government can enforce the already existing laws to prevent noise pollution, and people not abiding by the law should be penalized. Laws should also be placed for construction in urban areas. Sound-proof netting can be used to reduce sounds while working.
Implementing these laws will not only lead to a safer environment but also a more peaceful one. This issue is taken for granted by the people of Bangladesh. It is high time that actions are taken -- and each small step towards it matters.
In 2002, a law was passed by the Bangladesh government to ban the use of polythene bags. It is 2022, 20 years have passed and still there is no reduction in the usage of polythene bags. We should not let the issue of noise pollution be yet another momentary lapse for Bangladesh. Let's act to make our nation safer and more habitable.
Sadwaan Rabb Majumder studied International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College, Wales, UK and is associated with the Dhaka Tribune.