C T Online Desk: There are numerous factors that have turned Dhaka into one of the most unliveable cities in the world, but one that manages to fly under the radar despite growing to alarming levels in recent years is noise pollution.
Most residents are vocal about traffic, the lack of green spaces, the toxic air we breathe (itself a form of pollution), poor public transport, the lack of utilities in some areas. And the authorities too are sensitive on these matters at least to some extent. They are acknowledged, even if they are not fixed.
The same cannot be said of noise pollution, according to Sheikh Kanta Reza, a development worker.
“Often I have to scold some motorcyclists or fight with another human hauler or private car driver for their habit of honking horns unnecessarily while waiting in traffic signals. The situation is worsening day by day,” says Kanta, who commutes from Jhigatola to Farmgate for work during the very busy office hours.
Dhaka’s noise pollution is mainly caused by traffic horns, construction works, loudspeakers, political programmes, factory work and often generators. Together, they constitute a menace for which everyone suffers every minute of the day.
Lack of awareness about the existing laws among common people, indifference on the part of authorities concerned and even the law enforcers’ convenience have made causing noise pollution a negligible crime – even though its effects on human health can be severe.
Use of hydraulic horns in motor vehicles in Bangladesh was banned by the High Court in 2017, as it can reach volumes of 120 decibels, and exposure to such levels for longer than 60 seconds can cause immediate injury and harm to hearing.
In reality, the High Court’s directive to the government was forgotten with time and most of the vehicles on Dhaka roads are still using them, according to Abdus Sobahan, General Secretary of Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Save the Environment Movement, popularly known as Poba).
Often the drivers speed away using those hydraulic horns, startling pedestrians who often become victims of unfortunate road accidents as a result, he said.
“Honking horns on roads has become an addiction for drivers of almost all vehicles in the city while some do it merely to exert their arrogance. But it impacts public health and mental health of children, elderly people and patients,” he added.
Tanjila Akter Lina, a private jobholder, said she hardly takes her two-year- old daughter out anymore.
“When I have to take her out with me anyway, I make sure to cover her ears with my hands as she gets too frightened,” she said.
