Shiban Khaibri
It is an admitted fact that the air around us is what can be called as “common property” shared by every one. How can any body, therefore, have any moral or legal right to fill it with noise knowingly or unintentionally in order to infringe upon some one else’s right to peace and quiet? The menace of noise pollution caused due to sounds produced above tolerance limits, if unchecked, is bound to create problems of various hues. Using of pressure horns on the roads, honking repeatedly without reason while getting caught up in a traffic jam, noise emitting vehicles, high volumes of electronic appliances like music players, DJs, amplifiers are some of the major sources of noise pollution. In densely populated areas in the city, the menace of noise pollution is felt more vigorously. It hurts our health, our hearing and our normal enjoyment of life.
One more apparently silent but serious type of noise is affecting people especially the youngsters these days for avoidably hanging on to their phones and also music players for several hours, that too at loud volumes. Even while driving vehicles, we often cling on to the cell phones quiet unmindful of its consequences. On two counts, that of exceeding the known level of decibels of sound and the duration of exposure, the deleterious effect is phenomenal. One in four teenagers is at risk of early hearing loss as a direct result of listening to music on personal listening devices, if experts on the subject are to be believed. Excess noise over long durations is in simpler words just stench in the air.
World Health Organization has set the limit of noise tolerance up to a maximum of 85 decibels (unit measuring noise levels) beyond which it could affect the hearing system and the nerves of human beings. People get hyper due to slightest tension because their nerves do not remain stronger enough to face any kind of pressure. Recurring incidents of road rages could be attributed to the over exposure, voluntary or involuntary, to the high levels of noise. As regards celebrating certain festivals, people especially younger ones and children, burn fire crackers, a variety of which are getting more noise oriented, on bursting which, besides filling the atmosphere with harmful smoke, they do create bangs of noise. The repeated bouts of such noise make the sick, the old; the children and even every normal human being feel annoyed and irritable. The ideal permissible limit of noise in residential areas is 40 to 50 Db while it often goes up to more than 80 dB. Discomforted ones fret and fume and desperately try to cover eyes, nose and ears to stave off smoke, smell and blasts of noise. Thus one’s momentary pleasure is another’s cause of annoyance. There is, however, no reason to be increasingly pessimistic about the levels of awareness among the people about the ill effects of polluting atmosphere with noise as in many parts of the country; people celebrated the Deepawali festival this year with lesser crackers. In Delhi for example, a massive dip in sales of crackers ranging from 40% to 65% as compared to the previous year was noticed. This could be possible as a result of general awareness created among the school going children by their teachers in schools which seems to have been responded to positively by them. This needs to be encouraged and the topics on environment, ecology, prevention of noise pollution , preservation of forests etc; needs to be taught to children compulsorily in schools and incorporated in their text books.
It has been observed that “noise lovers” have apparently no regard for people during their night sleep when on umpteen times they get increasingly disturbed on account of playing of DJs, amplifiers, loud speakers etc; either to celebrate marriage ceremonies or religious functions. In our city of temples, this phenomenon is slightly gaining ground with impunity. No one could object to such celebrations even during nights, if confined strictly within the respective ambience or venue but to send its high pitch sound waves to as far as 1 to 2 km radius and that also uninterrupted throughout the night, is not justified. We all know that spiritual congregations, devotional celebrations and prayers etc; are all meant for soul soothing , striving for attaining peace, purification of thoughts and getting engrossed in Him, the Almighty , seeking His benevolence and forgivingness of our sins and detractions whatsoever and trying for comforting others, especially our neighbours. About prayers, it is said that a prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weaknesses.
It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. How come can we justify blaring sound producing devices during nights even on certain occasions in densely populated residential areas in the name of offering prayers and devotional music when it disturbs others in sleep, in ailments, in pregnancies, in studies, in children and even in animals that tend to get disturbed? During nights, permissible sound levels are only less than 40 dB while the same is 50 dB during the days which speaks in itself how much need is there to observe natural laws of quiet and calm during nights especially between 10 PM and 6 am.
We have host of consumable articles adulterated , some of vegetables, fruits too are reported to be artificially fattened which have the potential of disturbing our hormones besides these fruits and veggies are subjected to sprays which kill insects etc. It is to be believed that we in Jammu do not even consume wholly safe water which in most of the cases has been declared unfit for drinking if revelation made by the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report is to be believed, then when our sleep and peace especially during nights are also disturbed , it could aggravate in people falling prey to diseases like mental stress, headaches, hyper tension, insomnia, psychological problems, inability to concentrate, lower levels of performance at work place and even serious disorders. It is amply said that “Your right to make noise ends where your neighbour’s right to peace and quiet begins.” It is only when the physique, the general health is afflicted, we can only repent to confirm to the saying that we never know the worth of water till the well is dry.
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