Mindless honking

Bangladesh is perhaps one of the places in the world where vehicle warning devices like horns and sirens are used most indiscriminately. The overdose of honking on roads and in the surrounding areas takes not only a heavy toll on the auditory system but also on the psychological conditions of all living or staying there. The situation goes beyond all tolerable limits at intersections, where vehicles compete with each other as if to show how powerful their warning devices are.

Noise pollution in the capital and several other big cities and towns has become such a common phenomenon that the citizens seem to have become used to it betraying a sense of apathy towards the matter. Vehicle drivers, owners and bikers could not care less about the impact of noise pollution because they are not given the punishment for breaking the laws. Non-compliance has become the standard practice. Ride-sharing motorbikes, whose numbers are ever-growing in large cities lacking in modest public transport systems, have added to noise pollution. Bikers honk horns almost ceaselessly.

A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released in 2022 stated that Dhaka has the highest level of noise pollution among the 61 most populated cities in the world with the average noise frequency here reaching 119 decibels, which is twice the tolerable standard.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, repeated and long-term exposure to hazardous noise above 70 decibels can cause hearing loss while for occupational noise exposure, 85 decibels or higher is considered hazardous and exposure can lead to severe hearing loss over time.

Now the city people are facing the music for the noise pollution. Hearing impairment has become the third most common form of disability after physical disability and visual disability in Bangladesh. Though several factors, including illness, drugs and ageing, are responsible for hearing impairment, noise pollution is the top contributor. Experts believe half of the cases of hearing impairment, which causes economic, social, educational and vocational problems for both the victims and the country at large, can be prevented through mass awareness, public health intervention, etc.

To deal with noise pollution, Bangladesh has a law -- the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2006 (NPCR), which allows only 50-75 decibels of sound during daytime and 40 decibels during night-time. It provides that this standard shall not be violated without prior permission obtained from the appropriate authorities. Under the law, the highest punishment for noise pollution is one year of imprisonment, Tk 5,000 in fine, or both for a first-time offence. For a second-time offence, the punishment is up to six months imprisonment, Tk 10,000 in fine or both.

Despite the existence of law, no authorities are found to make the vehicle drivers and owners aware of the disastrous impact of indiscriminate use of horns. To fight noise pollution, now the government needs to launch a countrywide campaign to make people aware of the negative impact of the menace. Several non-government organisations run a few programmes to contain noise pollution, but they are inadequate in dealing with the situation. Civil societies, community leaders and other stakeholders have a role here too. If we all do not take the matter seriously and play our role, a far worse situation may await us.

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