Law to muffle noise soon

The above was a headline in the front page of The Daily Star dated February 16, 2004. This is a wonderful news. I would like to congratulate the minister and the state minister for forest and environment. Ban on hydraulic horns and loudspeakers should have been there from many years, but better late than never. Noise pollution is a serious health hazard and is totally preventable. No civilised nation has to bear so much noises as the people of this country have.

I live in Zakir Hussain Road in Chittagong which is a residential area and there are a school, a college, a university and at least six hospitals and nursing homes in this area. Everyday innumerable number of buses and trucks use this road for 24 hours using hydraulic horns and loud speakers. I can understand that the passengers may like to enjoy the songs but why must it be transmitted through loudspeakers subjecting the residents, patients and students not only to disturbances but also serious health hazards e.g. high blood pressure, heart attack, headache, insomnia, indigestion etc.

Noise pollution must be minimised, if not stopped, by enacting the law soon and implementing the law effectively. Like the ban on polythene, this will also be appreciated by the people of the country.