Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Noise pollution affecting students, the elderly

Violation of the limits placed by the High Court on the use of loudspeakers is rampant in the city, writes G. Anand

Students preparing for public examinations are among those most affected by the currently widespread violation of the restrictions placed by the High Court on the use of loudspeakers.

Deafening music is played round-the-clock at religious places of worship, mostly temples, during the festival season. Those behind the mischief are anti-social elements and local event managers who collect, or mostly extort, money from the public under the pretext of conducting the festivities.

The best way to show that the money is well spent is to play ear-splitting music in the neighbourhood. A resident's association office-bearer said the city police should limit issuing permits for setting up loud speakers and noise pollution norms should be strictly enforced.

The use of public address systems for marketing and advertising should be prohibited. Those who play amplified music in public without the permission of the copyright holder should be booked. Electronic equipment used by those who violate norms regarding the use of loudspeakers should be confiscated. Those seeking sanction to use loud speakers should be made to deposit at least Rs.1,000 for each speaker. If the norms are violated, the deposit could be forfeited from the offender,

The cause for enforcing sound pollution norms was recently highlighted by K. Sadasivan, a civic-minded senior citizen who authored a booklet on the ills of sound pollution. In his work, he points out gloomily that most parents and students have come to terms with sound pollution as an "inevitable evil and an inescapable reality" in their city. Most prefer to weather it in silence, he says.

Excessive exposure to noise could cause stress, coronary disease, ulcer, colitis and headache.

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