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Law to muffle noise soon

Ban on hydraulic horns, bar on loud speakers likely

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The Ministry of Forest and Environment has drafted an amendment to the Noise Pollution Control Act 2004 that will bar or restrict the use of hydraulic horns, mikes, loud speakers, brick grinding machines, generators and other loud machinery.
The use of microphones and sirens for religious purposes like calls for prayers and predawn meals during Ramadan, state functions and during emergencies will be outside the purview of the law.
Environment minister Shajahan Siraj disclosed the decision at a press conference yesterday.
"Noise pollution has reached an alarming level. The law will be
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enacted gradually over a period of three months to curb the menace," he said, adding that a countrywide awareness campaign will be launched about the harmful effects of noise pollution.
He said recommendations concerning the Act should be sent to the environment ministry within 15 days, after which the draft amendment will be sent to the Ministry of Law for vetting. "The two ministries (environment and law) will work together to ban the import of hydraulic horns. Total ban on the horns will come into effect two months after the draft is vetted."
He said violators will be facing a six-month jail term or a fine of Tk 10,000 or both. "The amendment will make punishments more specific than the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act, 1995, which actually had provided for a harder punishment for the same offence -- a two-year jail term and Tk 10,000 fine."
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has fixed acceptable sound limits for silent zones at 45 decibels (db) during the day and 35 db at night. Day and nighttime specifications for other areas are: residential areas (50 db and 40 db), mixed areas (60 db and 50 db), commercial areas (70 db and 60 db) and
industrial areas (75 db and 70 db).
Surveys have revealed that noise levels in all areas under the five categories in Dhaka surpass the levels recommended by the WHO. City-dwellers are regularly bombarded with noise reaching 100 decibels, which can cause high blood pressure, headache, peptic ulcer, insomnia, indigestion, hypertension and permanent hearing impairment.
The draft law entitles city mayor's offices, chairmen of pourashava (municipality) and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha in Dhaka to earmark areas as residential, commercial, mixed, industrial and silent zone in the capital and all over the country, and post signs concerning the maximum allowable noise level.
The law will bar the use of loud speakers for events like picnics and election campaigns, and also restrict use of loud machines for construction.
State Minister Zafrul Islam Chowdhury, Joint Secretary Mihir Kanti Mojumder and Director General of the Department of Environment KM Ibrahim were present during the briefing held at the auditorium of Press Information Department.