Manjula Pooja Shroff: The menace of noise pollution

And we thought that with the banning of loudspeakers at weddings and mosques, banning night activities that involved loud blaring music sneaking out of a discotheque, a private party or Navratri fiesta, noise pollution was under control.

There are newer aspects of the harmful effects of noise pollution that may not be so easy to control. No doubt the ban of loudspeakers has played a positive part in controlling noise, but the new challenge of this form of pollution is coming from the 21st century lifestyles and vehicular movements.

Psychologists are increasingly raising alarm and blowing the whistle about the lasting harm that noise can cause. Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report concluding that continuous exposure to noise pollution can lead to higher blood pressure or even fatal heart attack.

Chronic exposure to noise can have a lifetime impact on children's mental development and learning.  Some studies show that children who study next to airports and busy streets may have a slower development in cognitive skills. Children who live next to airports and are constantly exposed to the noise of planes landing and taking off may show learning difficulties due to this unwanted, unpleasant and disturbing sound pervading their everyday life.

The most glaring example of this research is the fact that a study was conducted to examine the relocating of Munich airport on children's health and cognitive grounds. Some studies indicated that reading comprehension skills and long-term memory showed a sharp dip when students had homes or schools near busy airports. Trains, airplanes and automobiles play their part.

Office commuters who spend 2-3 hours a day as part of their daily routine commute to work in urban cities are constantly exposed to the din of these public transport places. Imagine the level of noise a person absorbs if his daily commuting takes him through VT station - Mumbai on a daily basis. Without any active role, he is being subject to the harmful effects of noise pollution.

Noise need not always be loud. For example, the steady noise emitting out of the turbines of a wind farm that generates electricity is of low decibels, much lower than the city traffic, lawn movers or even a home vacuum cleaner, but it has equal negative health effects.

The current generation Y, have their ears constantly plugged to the ipod. While they may cut out the outside din, the high decibel of the ipod can lead to deafness.

Noise experts are exploring if modern hospitals which use mortised beds, ambulance sirens and constant murmur of human voices and 24 hours electronic surveillance systems can have a negative impact on patients.

21st century lifestyles are getting more motorised and electronised be it homes, schools or at essential places like hospitals. Life is getting more comfortable with the availability of powerful cars, bullet trains and by the hour air connectivity. While all this is happening, there is a silent menace creeping in, which unless addresses can cause long term and permanent damage to our health, the menace of 'noise'.