The Sound of Noise

Sound renders inspiration to music and fills the deepest of voids. That a mere frequency of vibrations carelessly strung together can add so much meaning to life is something which never ceases to amaze me. But some startling revelations in recent times have left me shell-shocked and running for cover. In this article, I shall share some of them with you.

Decibel is the standard for measurement of noise. The lowest sound pressure that can be heard is 20 decibels (20Db). The average acceptable range of sound is 40 Db to 65 Db. At 80 Db, sound becomes physically painful and intolerable. But it is indeed astounding to see that almost all metropolitan and urban areas in India emit noise above permissible limit which is silently absorbed by the surroundings. Little do we know about how this callous generation of noise is going to backfire? Cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bombay generate close to 90 decibels every day. Several studies have been conducted to assess the ambient noise levels. The world health organization has estimated a significant hearing impairment to occur if there is continuous exposure to noise levels between 70 to 85 decibels. Although it is surprising to note that areas which have been specifically categorized as silence zones (less than 100 m around hospitals, schools etc) have been recorded with the highest average noise level of 75 decibels which sometimes extends to 90 decibels. This means that we are all susceptible to noise induced severe hearing loss.

Prolonged exposure to such high decibel sounds causes irreversible damage to the sensory cells of the cochlea. They cause a temporary or permanent elevation in the hearing threshold which means sounds below a certain range cannot be picked up. This range is steadily increasing and has become as high as 20 to 30 Db.

A study conducted by the European commission and European heart journal on transport noise mitigation and medical impacts revealed the correlation between noise annoyance and medically diagnosed illness. People who were annoyed with neighborhood noise over a long time were at the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression and migraine. People who were persistently annoyed by traffic were seen to be at the risk of respiratory health problems. Excessive noise can also trigger some serious psychological ailments. People who live closer to roadways are reported to be suffering from problems of bad temper, irritation and anxiety. Children face problems of sleep disturbance and lack of concentration. This is nature’s way of telling us that we should be really worried and concerned about our future. We are in the process of successfully creating a race of toxic and deplorably unhealthy beings and we need to abort this mission before it consumes us all.

Under the noise pollution (regulation and control) rules 2000, an objective level of air quality standard has been set but a lot has to be done on the implementation front since these limits are being violated and dangerously exceeded on a day to day basis.

The prescribed permissible limit is as under:

Area code	Category	Limits in decibels : (day)                   (night)
A	Industrial	75	70
B	Commercial	65	55
C	Residential	55	45
D	Silence	50	40

In retrospect

The Supreme Court judgment last year imposing ban on loudspeakers at religious places came as a huge relief to those in the vicinity of such areas who inevitably became subject to this brutal inconvenience.

Another major circular was issued by the Maharashtra state transport commissioner, Mahesh Zagade banning the ‘Horn Ok Please’ signs behind trucks.

This is said to be a departure from driving culture where there is a window for unnecessary honking. On the face of it, the decision makes sense because it violates provisions of Motor Vehicles Act but it is neither sensible nor practical. As if banning this sign would actually reduce the instances of honking! It has to be imbibed in our culture rather than banning signs. It is time; we all sit up and take notice of this matter. There are some simple ways in which we can control noise pollution in our own locality.

What can be done?

The time has come for us to sit up and take notice of this matter. There are some simple ways in which we can control noise pollution in our own locality.

·        Better lubrication and working of machines.

·        Use silencers to control noise from automobiles, ducts, exhausts etc.

·        Checking noise by covering noise producing machines with sound absorbing materials.

·        Planting trees. A thick and dense green cover can reduce the effect of sound pollution to a great extent.

These are cost effective ways in which we can suppress noise at source without having to depend on any strenuous measures to be initiated by the government.

Some other innovative and pioneering solutions have been discovered which are helping in reduction of noise pollutants in atmosphere in their own astonishing and path breaking way.

Quieter airport take offs

·        NASA is spearheading research in reducing air craft noise through the quiet aircraft technology program. It aims to develop technology to reduce commercial aircraft noise significantly.

Quieter highways

·        The national highways authority of India should ideally make it mandatory to use silencers in vehicles, frequently service and oil them and provide for service stations to facilitate the same.  This will cut down the frictional strain and subsequent noise that is generated out of such wear and tear. The metropolitan planning organizations in Europe and USA have started investing in material that absorbs sound. This material will be used in construction of pavements along the roads which will act as barriers and eventually reduce the noise.

Quieter buildings

·        Traditionally, builders control the impact of noise inside the buildings by constructing thicker walls, ceilings and floor or use material which are insulators, with sound pockets that trap sound waves. Recently, Quiet solutions (a California based company) have introduced a product line that can be added to cement and is said to reduce sound transmission between walls significantly. Using this material would reduce sound decibel per room to 40 Db which is as quiet as a library.

Seeking silence

·        Raising and spreading awareness in public offices, public places, schools and colleges will transform people to become more silence friendly and appreciate the importance of an environment free of blaring horns and buzzing noise.

It is about time that we take noise pollution seriously before it becomes the single most powerful, destructive and potent force to claim our natural balance.

The luxury of living in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere has been compromised to high speed, cacophonous gadgets. There is great joy in the simple and soft sounds of everyday lives. if we don’t act soon enough then soul fulfilling sounds like An infant’s cackle, ruffling of trees, chirping of birds, sound of warm breeze or cool zephyr will literally fall on deaf ears and silence will once again become an unaffordable luxury.

Legal Remedies

Did you know? Right to live in a peaceful and clean environment is a fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution and upheld by the apex court in various judgments. So let’s get to the big question, what can you do about it?

 To enforce this right, citizens can take the following steps.

The regulatory authority to maintain these standards is the local district court. No permission can be granted by any authority for use of amplified public address system in open after 10 PM and before 6 AM. There can be no exceptions in this regard. If the prescribed limits are not complied with, then all you need to do is file an RTI application seeking a reply as to why no action was taken to restore the noise level. If authorities do not act to stop violation of noise rules, then any citizen who has filed a complaint can approach the court within 60 days of notice and court can initiate proceedings. Remember, Noise pollution amounts to public nuisance whereby a civil suit can be filed and damages can be claimed. So if something is unbearable, stop plugging your ears, plug the system!



-Sharanya Shivaraman.
A The InfoMission Project writer.