6 Nov 2016


A Decibel Free World


 The Picture 

The human mind has always aimed at progression of the human race. This perspective has endowed a lot many scientific discoveries which have improved man’s life, both in terms of pleasure as well as the quality of life. As helpful as these improvisations have been, there always a darker picture to the story. Man's interventions, while pursuing for a happy, easy life, have culminated in a lot many problems to one's health too, noise pollution being the most recent addition to the list.

Why the rising concern?
          The words noise pollution are enough to make one aware of it's Genesis. Industrial growth, vehicular sale increment for easier communion, louder instruments used for celebrating Indian festivals, all of these minor changes have culminated effectively in a reservoir for human illness, of deafness.
   Reports have shown increasing cases of hearing loss victims to be diagnosed in residential staying around areas of high noise pollution like the airport, manufacturing industries, etc. This can be attributed to the high exposure endowed upon these residentials , arising from the nearby high source of noise. Hearing can be severely disabled in workers, employed in high sound exposure areas such as mines, factories, etc. 

     Not just that, even the Firecrackers burst during the festival of Diwali in the nation had contributed to a relative increase in the amount of noise pollution, above the permissible range and this has consequently reported in increased numbers of deaf and acoustically impaired victims.

What can be done ?
           With a view of bringing down this forth rising problem, various departments in the nation have tried intervening, to decrease the sound generation and source. If not that, then at least reducing the exposure. For example, the Indian factories act, in an attempt to decrease the number of workers affected by this high range of sound, have enlisted a guideline wherein the workers are allowed to work only for 8 hours per day and 5 days per week in a noise enhanced setting. No possible increment to this guideline is encouraged. 

Similarly, the Indian govt is trying it's level best to decrease the Manufacturing of Firecrackers in Diwali to decrease the supply and hence, the utilisation thereby decreasing the noise pollution. Schools too have joined these innovation of decreasing noise pollution in such festivals by discouraging the tradition of lighting Firecrackers and rather exploring the young adults what Diwali is all about. The govt has also implied a maximum amount of about 100dB in an airport setting.
       Noise pollution is an oncoming terror and needs to be stopped at source, if not then atleast decrease the exposure to noise. Social intervention and individual interaction only, can help tackle this rising disaster.