Dhaka’s sound pollution triple of tolerable level

Dhaka city is suffering from sound pollution three times of tolerable level. As a result, around half a crore people are at health risk, Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Mohammad Shahab Uddin said at a programme yesterday.

He also said that if necessary, steps will be taken to enact new laws by amending the existing one in order to keep "silent zones" declared in the nine city corporation areas free from sound pollution.

The minister was speaking from his residence in the capital at a virtual workshop organised by the Department of Environment on the occasion of International Noise Awareness Day-2021.

He said "silent zones" were declared at all nine city corporations in locations where hospitals, educational institutions and administrative areas are situated.

"Various agencies including Department of Environment, police, city corporation, BRTA will work together to ensure all silent zones are free from noise," he also said.

The minister said Dhaka South City Corporation has been contacted to implement silent zone area around the secretariat. This project will be implemented after the Covid-19 situation becomes normal.

Shahab Uddin said according to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion people at the age of 12-35 are at risk of hearing loss due to their involvement in excessively noisy recreational activities.

He called upon people to be aware of the various harmful effects of noise pollution as well as to make others aware in order to lead a quality life.

Deputy Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Habibun Nahar; Secretary Ziaul Hasan; and former vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Pran Gopal Dutta, among others also spoke at the workshop chaired by Md Moniruzzaman, director general of Department of Environment.