We pay for the rising decibels not just with our health but also with the loss of urban wildlife. Sound pollution is preventable

The one thing that strikes people the most when they visit Western nations is the systematic functioning of the civic infrastructure that is clean and not overburdened with a huge population. Another aspect in which these countries score over developing nations is the efficiency, punctuality and superior connectivity of public transit. Besides all these factors, one particular feature that becomes instantly evident on stepping out into public spaces is the relative reduction in ambient noises as compared to any of the Indian metropolises.

This relative calm is even more overwhelming as you proceed towards the city’s outskirts. This low level of urban noise is not incidental to these nations; they worked for it and got it through strict regulations and even stricter execution of the same. These efforts are increasingly helping these nations to co-exist in harmony with nature.

Urban tranquillity in the case of India is virtually unheard of and so is noise control. Multiple sources of noise exist in the form of vehicular, commercial and industrial activities, noisy weddings and religious functions — the list is endless. These discordant noises result in a nightmarish situation where neither can one take a deep breath freely thanks to the ambient air pollution in megapolises, nor can one keep the nerves calm amid the cacophony. However, the focus has always been on air pollution because it is visible and, therefore, immediately concerning. But noise pollution is not treated with the same seriousness, even though it is just as harmful as air pollution.

In simple terms, noise or sound pollution is the generation of sound waves that harm humans and animals. If one starts observing how much of unwanted noises one is subjected to in a day, it will be a shocking discovery.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has specified that noise levels in residential areas cannot be more than 55 decibels during the day and 45 at night. However, these levels are breaching 100 decibels at most locations across Delhi-NCR. These conditions exist not because we have inept laws but because we have a lax implementation regime. Implementation of existent laws has always been the Achilles’ heel as we have a great set of rules and regulations but they are mostly circumvented or “managed.”

The worst part of noise pollution in India is that it can easily be reined in and controlled, yet, it is allowed to proliferate. Be it loud weddings or religious processions or the carefree usage of diesel generators, there is virtually no control on volumes. This has severe health repercussions in the form of rising cognitive and hearing disabilities, stress and high blood pressure levels besides heart diseases and sleeping disorders. Owing to these conditions, we now have an urban fabric comprising sleep-deprived and unhealthy citizens, who are unable to lead a quality life which happens to be their fundamental right as well.

Besides, due to these loud environs in urban India, nature, too, has been slowly withdrawing from our lives. Many bird species, such as the common house sparrow, have already become absent in cities thanks to the worsening air quality and rising decibel levels. Additionally, the exponentially increasing numbers of cell phone towers have made matters worse. The rising radiation levels, which are increasing the disease burden of humans, are exceedingly detrimental for urban wildlife. The fact that compared to a decade ago we don’t hear much of either bird calls or squirrels chattering in the trees, is a clear indication of how much the cityscape has changed.

Smart cities that are replete with the latest technology and infrastructure facilities are the dream of every citizen but this cannot come at the cost of the urban flora and fauna. The Indian Government must take a page out of Singapore’s urban development plan that is in sync with nature.

Singapore is one of the few city-States that had been able to balance lush green urban spaces full of teeming species of natural life forms with soaring skyscrapers. This model of co-existence can ensure that the very flora and fauna that is conserved and protected will, in turn, negate to some extent the impact of air and noise pollution.

Urban India must also strive to bring down noise pollution actively, re-introduce itself to nature, be one with it and bring back the rhythm of life as it is meant to be.

(The writer is an environmental journalist)