The day begins with construction noises, carrying over from the midnight brick deliveries onto the more persistent sounds of hammering, steel rod resizing, and marble cutting. Out on the streets, the swelling traffic from the morning rush onwards fills the air with the mingled noises of engines and horns and bicycle bells.
Seeking refuge indoors is futile in most places. One is never sufficiently insulated against the assault of street vendors screaming their wares all day, the roar of generators when the power gives out, planes flying overhead, and in some areas, enterprising beggars who have graduated from lung-power to pre-recorded appeals that they broadcast via loudspeaker.
Evening brings a spike in the noise with homebound traffic, and, during the party season, the latest Bollywood hits blaring through the gigantic sound systems at every holud event. Dhaka is certainly a very loud city.
While that much is evident for anyone who’s spent even a day here, just how loud it is may surprise and alarm you. According to a report published last month by pro-environment group Poribesh Bachao Andolan (Poba), sound levels have reached alarming spikes in the capital city, with sound generation in some areas being two to three times higher than tolerable limits.
The study, conducted throughout Dhaka during November last year revealed that even locations designated as “silent areas,” such as Shahbagh, with two important hospitals located in the vicinity, or the area in front of the prime minister’s office registered sound generation at least 50% higher than acceptable limits.
Many residential areas, like Tejkunipara and Dhanmondi, for example, suffer noise levels as much as three times higher than the safe limit.
Why are these noise levels a concern for Poba, and indeed, most residents of the capital? Medical experts have reported a higher incidence of hearing loss, insomnia, loss of concentration, irritation, high blood pressure, migraines, and retarded fetal growth, all of which can be linked to lengthy exposure to loud sound. In other words, the noise pollution is literally a headache for the city’s residents.
The culprits are many – from the growth of traffic plying the streets, excessive honking of horns, to the use of heavy machinery in construction sites, to loud music being played in restaurants and shopping malls, and so on. Almost equally culpable are the concerned authorities, who are apparently not that concerned after all.
Late last year, the Department of Environment (DoE) admitted that it has not been measuring sound levels in the noisy capital for over a year. What few measures that have been proposed, such as public awareness programs, mobile courts, and the imposition of fines on offenders, have not been implemented properly due to manpower and fund shortages.
Blaming the authorities or the lack of infrastructural support is easy enough, but the truth is, we are a noisy people. While one can’t wish away the traffic on the roads, would it be too hard to refrain from excessively honking the horns?
Sure, restaurants could turn down the loud music they play, but what about their patrons who insist on sharing their conversation with the entire room by talking in loud voices? Is it absolutely necessary to drag young children to coffee joints late at night, or letting them run around shrieking in fast food places? Would it be impossible to have wedding events without straining the sound system to its limits, sometimes right till the wee hours of the night? Didn’t think so.
As with any other environmental issue, the problem of noise pollution is a logistical nightmare. A little civic sense, and a few smart lifestyle choices, however could make the madness much more manageable.
