After reading this article you will learn about the Indian perspective on noise by WHO.
According to a WHO report to the UN Conference on Environment. Of all environmental problems, noise is the easiest to control. But the question of control will arise only after these in awareness among the people of the need for control and for the government to find some solution for it.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
1. The first approach has been to reduce noise at source. Design and fabrication of silencing devices and their use in aircraft engines, trucks, cars, motorcycles, industrial machines and home appliances would be an effective measure. Protection to workers can be provided through wearing devices such as earplugs and earmuffs.
2. Making a change in design and operation of machines, vibration control, sound proof cabins and sound-absorbing materials can reduce it.
3. It can get reduced by prescribing noise limits for vehicular traffic, ban on honking of horns in certain areas and planning main traffic arteries, industrial establishments, amusement areas, residential colonies, creation of silent zones near schools and hospitals and redesigning of buildings to make them noise- proof.
Other measures can involve reduction of traffic density in residential areas giving preferences to mass public transport system.
Control of Indoor Noise:
Where outdoor noise levels have been high, the following methods can be applied for reducing their effect:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
a. Locate in the building as far as possible from noise source. The noise level drops about 6dB each time the distance is doubled.
b. Trees and shrubs may be planted in front of building to provide smoke absorption for the sound.
c. Locate non-critical areas such as corridors, kitchens, bathrooms, elevators and service spaces in the noisy side and critical areas each as bedrooms and living spaces on the quiet side.
d. Back to back bathrooms or toilets should be avoided unless they are effectively sound isolated. Bathrooms, kitchen and laundry rooms should not be adjacent to the floor.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
e. Bathroom walls, floor and ceiling should be sound insulated using construction of high sound insulation glasses.
f. Noisy toilets, is bettered by quiet siphon jet type flush toilets should be installed to reduce the noise from the source.
Commode seats with double siphon system are now available and may be adopted wherever possible.
i. Road Noise:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Vegetation buffer zones must be created in different parts of the city. Efforts should be made for roadside plantations.
ii. An urgent Need for Legislation to Control Noise Pollution:
We have seen that in India, in absences of a specific legislation for control and prevention of the noise pollution, one has to seek provisions in various branches of law and regulations. There has been no doubt that the available provisions in various branches of law are adequate, unscientific and crude.
In most of the developed countries specific legislations have been made and scientific methods for investigation of noise pollution have been invented. The science of audiometer and other branches related to sound have been developed and it becomes comfortable to devise various legal provisions to control and prevent noise pollution.
As present, there is no specific and detailed legislation to control the noise pollution. However, there is an urgent need that the Central Government of India should manage to get a legislation passed for the control of noise pollution. Some legislation regarding water and air pollution have been made in India.
Government should pass the ‘Noise Pollution Control Act’ to meet special Indian conditions. Apart from such kind of Central legislation, there should be a city noise control code for all major cities in India. Creation of unnecessary noise has to be prohibited and should be punishable under law.
i. Education:
People can be educated through radio, TV, newsreels in cinema halls about noise pollution. In the family, elders can teach children to keep the radio volume low, low voice talking not to horn unnecessarily on the roads, avoid quarreling amongst each other and so on. There should be complete ban of loudspeakers from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
ii. Public Awakening and the Control:
It is also important that public awakening is also very essential for the control and prevention of the noise pollution. In India, most of the persons lack any idea about the ways in which noise pollution could be controlled.
Very few scientists are aware of the problem and its control. Masses are still ignorant of the grave effects of the noise pollution. In this regard television, radio, internet, and newspapers should give a campaign for wide publicity.
It is also true that in the present set up of industrialization, one should be able to face the noise pollution to a certain extent. If somehow from a machinery noise producing gadget has been taken out completely, in such cases noiseless machinery may become more dangerous than with noise creating gadget.
Take the example of a locomotive engine. Noise of a locomotive engine especially the noise of its whistle has been very useful in keeping humans and animals away from the tracks. In such cases a limit of noise in terms of decibels may be recommended.
The most important body of people who are or should be involved in noise control are the manufacturers of noise-producing devices, since in their hands lies the most effective way of controlling noise at the source.
However, we live in a society where even the most enlightened manufacturers need an incentive to invest in the extensive research, development, design and tooling that might be required to reduce noise emissions from their products.
Such incentives are provided, in essence, by legislation enforced either centrally or locally. To appreciate the number of people and organizations involved in legislation for noise control and with ways in which they influence this legislation require a look at the history of governments’ concern with problem of noise.
These standards or “ideas” may be easily controlled of all environmental problems, but just as every other problem, do we want to change for the sake of noise pollution? If the question is answered with integrity and honesty, it is sure that not many would want to change over some small portion of noise pollution.
With the exceptions of the throwing the blame at someone else makes it so much easy to control noise, since its not the life of yourself being at stake to change.
Special Cases/incidents Walkman-Radio Industry:
Hearing loss can be entrapping in onset. Years of traumatic exposure to high levels can occur before symptoms become manifest. The popularity for portable sound equipment such as Walkman-type radios and tape players has already produced a sharp increase in clinically verified hearing loss, especially among rock music addicts who prefer their music very loud.
Obviously, the Walkman-radio industry believes these are not their products that are the problem; rather it is improper use. If, they say, the volume is kept down, there would be no problem, which is equivalent to saying that if we all drove cautiously there would be no accidents.
Considering that earphone listening has been around for some 20 years, why has the problem only recently surfaced? Apparently the pattern of listening has changed. Currently, earphones are used while walking or running on noisy easy streets rather than in the privacy of the home or other relatively quiet areas where the listener did not wish to disturb others.
Now the volume must be turned up to overcome the noise of city traffic. The listener wants the Walkman to blot out the “noises of the city”. Doing those courts hearing disaster. A similar result occurs to users in noisy factory or industrial environments. Since to these people, louder is better, the makings for an epidemic of hearing loss are at hand.