Noise pollution is assuming alarming levels, affecting humans' and animals' physical and mental health. Not many are aware that apart from hearing loss, it may cause stress, anxiety and sleeping disorders in humans and lead to abortions in canines, say specialists. They say it is high time the authorities enforced norms strictly and the people became aware enough to use sound systems and vehicle horns judiciously to ensure everyone’s overall well-being and avoid loss of working hours. TreeTake takes a look …
When did you last spend 20 minutes in a quiet spot at home, in your locality or city, listening merely to the chorus of the songbirds, a whisper of wind in the trees and the rustle of fallen leaves? A silent zone without the noise of vehicles vrooming past and horns honking, the clang of metal in some construction, loud music or even the drone of an aeroplane overhead disturbing the serene environment?
Such serenity would be hard to find, not only in the city but also in the suburbs. Fast-expanding urban sprawls with the resultant rampant construction activity, increasing traffic and the lack of civic sense among people have multiplied the ‘shor’ in Indian cities to a considerable extent, so much so that noise pollution has emerged as a major issue in 2025.
Kamna, 35 and her husband both live in an area in Lucknow which was hitherto considered quiet. Both work from home. But of late, increasing construction activity has spelt misery for them. “The house next door was pulled down,” Kamna said, adding that “fresh construction started taking place which went on 24x7, making it impossible to work or concentrate due to the din.” Perforce, the couple chose to work from the office. But back home at night, they were woken up at about 2 AM with a loud horrendous sound. Investigation revealed that a concrete mixer was being used next door. When appeals to shut it fell on deaf ears, the couple called the police. However, even the cops could not do much as the contractor said it was forbidden to drive the mixer on the road after 6 AM and it could only be brought in the night. This is the scene in every city of India, not just the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, as construction activity has multiplied many times more.
Arpita, who also lives in a posh locality in Lucknow, has a problem of another kind. Just behind her colony is a slum pocket where a number of people house pigeons in tiny matchbox houses, trading in meat and eggs. Early in the morning, they begin flying their pigeons with loud whistles and shrill cries which go on for a couple of hours at least. The same process is repeated in the evenings. Arpita’s mother-in-law finds it tough to complete her morning puja rituals in the din, her small child wakes up and starts crying and in short, the nuisance irks the family no end. Numerous complaints to various authorities, including the Nagar Nigam, police and even the forest department have failed to yield results.
Ajay Sharma of Kanpur has another grouse. His party-loving neighbour often organizes gatherings at home which go on till the wee hours. The problem is not with the party but with the extremely loud DJ music and the live Bhangra band. “The loud music is enough to rip the ear- drum off. We cannot sleep due to the sound reverberating through the entire colony. On New Year’s Eve, I requested them to tone down a little bit. They lowered the volume for a few minutes but it went up again as their young guests started gyrating,” said a peeved Sharma, adding people should be aware enough to celebrate within the confines of their homes, without keeping neighbours awake throughout the night. “On several occasions, I have told them that my mother is not in good health and needs sound sleep, but they hardly pay attention,” he said.
A private company employee in Lucknow requesting anonymity said there was a saw-mill behind his house where work went on till late at night, though as per norms it should not be located in a residential area and work should not go on after 6 PM. But his efforts to get this issue addressed proved futile and he ended up with a constant ringing sound in his ears for which he had to get treatment from an ENT specialist. Later, on the advice of the doctors, he used earplugs for some time.
Dr Kumar Gaurav, a leading ENT specialist in Lucknow, said: “Noise pollution causes sensory-neural hearing loss which is called noise-induced hearing loss. to It takes place gradually when one is exposed to constant sound, for instance, if one goes to clubs regularly, lives near an industrial area where there is a noise of machines or near a road where trucks pass all the time. In such cases, one is exposed to over 80 to 90 decibels of sound which affects the inner hearing cells of the ear. This leads to sensory-neural hearing loss which is permanent. There is no reversal. Hear cells padded in the inner ear are damaged and their number declines. There is no treatment for this, although stem cell research is going on in the United States. But human trials are still awaited. So, there is no remedy but to use a hearing aid. Otherwise, also, the general well-being is affected as people cannot concentrate and there is a loss of working hours.”
He said: “Many people also go into stress and anxiety,” and added that the authorities should enforce proper norms. There should be a dedicated separate cell, just like the cyber cell, where people may complain about those creating loud noise and devices should measure the sound level. He said people should also know that loud noise was harmful. Youngsters and even kids were regularly taken to clubs and parties and were exposed to loud music. Youths used earplugs to listen to music on phones. What they did not know was that if one was exposed to 80-90 decibels of music for one hour every day for a year, one could end up with 60 decibels of hearing loss. “Public awareness should be created as the ear is the most neglected part. If one has a problem in any part of the body, one goes to a physician immediately. But in hearing, you cannot judge early. You notice hearing loss only when you cannot hear properly,” he added.
Another ENT specialist Dr Nitin Joshi endorsed the view, saying noise pollution damaged the nerves of the ear and if it was extensive, a hearing aid was the only option. He said pressure horns were the main culprit and people should use them judiciously.
What is noise pollution?
Noise pollution refers to any high-pitched, unwanted and unpleasant sound (above 80 decibels) which has potentially harmful effects on both humans and animals. Noise is measured in terms of pressure, intensity and frequency. While pressure level represents the amount of pressure relative to atmospheric pressure during sound wave propagation that can vary with time, intensity is measured in Watts per meters-squared, representing the flow of sound over a particular area. Although sound pressure and intensity differ, both can describe the level of loudness by comparing the current state to the threshold of hearing. This results in decibel units on the logarithmic scale which accommodates the vast range of sound heard by the human ear. The frequency or pitch of a sound is measured in Hertz (Hz) and reflects the number of sound waves propagated through the air per second. The human ear can hear frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz but hearing higher frequencies decreases with age. Elephants can register frequencies between 0 and 20 Hz (infrasound), while bats can recognize frequencies above 20,000 Hz (ultrasound) to echolocate.
Causes of noise pollution
It goes without saying that most of the noise pollution is man-made and also a result of poor urban planning. With commercial activity slowly creeping into or near residential areas, there is a lot of noise from big machines and different equipment such as exhaust fans, compressors, grinding mills etc. Traffic volume on the roads is increasing daily in almost all cities and the number of vehicles is also going up. This is another major cause of sound pollution as too many vehicles at the same time on the roads produce heavy noise. Pressure horns are another source.
Construction activities are also increasing and the drilling machines, concrete mixers or JCB machines produce high sounds. At social events, like a marriage, a party or even a religious gathering, people generally use loudspeakers, DJs or high-pitch music systems that create a nuisance.
Ill-effects of noise pollution
Noise pollution takes a toll not only on ear health but the overall well-being of both humans and animals. Playing songs at full volume can affect the hearing abilities of an individual who is frequently exposed to such sounds. Noise pollution can also cause sleeping disorders by disrupting the sleeping pattern of an individual The late-night parties, loud music in marriages or other events can affect neighbours’ night sleep so that they feel fatigued the next day and cannot work properly. Noise at construction sites, offices and even in the homes can affect psychological health. Disturbance of sleep, hypertension, aggressive behaviour or stress can be associated with excessive sound levels. High-intensity sound can accelerate heartbeat rate and blood pressure as it interrupts normal blood flow and results in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. While the elderly may have cardiac problems due to noise, according to the World Health Organization, children are especially vulnerable and the adverse effects on them may be permanent.
Dr Vinod Jain of King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, said: “Noise pollution hits mental peace. It disturbs alpha waves in the brain so that the person experiences a lack of concentration and feels irritation and restlessness, The blood pressure may be affected on account of these problems. But on the whole, it is harmful to the general health. Sound should not go above 90 decibels in any case. The use of horns in traffic should be avoided. Horns are the main culprit but people are constantly exposed to them. Decibel level during heavy traffic is often 160 decibels which is very harmful.”
Noise pollution can also adversely affect wildlife and can reach undisturbed habitats. Many animals use sound to communicate with others of their species, whether for reproduction purposes, navigation, or to notify others of prey or predators. Sound pollution bars them from detecting these sounds, affecting overall communication within the population. Birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, mammals and invertebrates are some biological groups impacted by noise pollution.
Dr K Kumar, a leading veterinarian of Lucknow said: “Noise pollution is more harmful for animals as they are more sensitive to sound. The frequency level of their hearing is such that they can hear even low sounds which we cannot. At the time of Diwali, we face a crisis as dogs often undergo abortions due to fear of the noise of crackers. They also give up food and even suffer heart attacks. Such incidents are happening in the city. The cases related to reproductive health are of special concern. Recently, there was a case in which the bitch delivered but ran away after leaving the newborns.” He said people should adhere to fixed decibel levels and timing during events and the authorities should enforce norms strictly.
The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules of the Central Pollution Control Board prohibit the use of sound systems from 10 PM to 6 AM except on closed premises but people pay scant attention. There is also a provision of penalty for those flouting the rules but CPCB and PCCB officials were unavailable for comment on action taken.
However, senior police officer Dr Aravind Chaturvedi said the police could intervene in such cases. If construction work was going on at night, cops could stop it and send a report to the PCB later if they thought it was a continuous problem. They could also stop loud music at night. So, the citizens could approach the police.
How to check noise pollution?
Sound pollution is dangerous as it can result in loss of hearing and cause other health issues. Hence it is imperative to control it.
Large sounds like driving sirens in public places must be banned.
Construction activity and the use of noisy machines should be banned at night.
The sound of music systems should be controlled and limited to the desirable extent.
The use of explosives in the forest, mining areas and mountains should be banned.
More trees and shrubs should be planted, particularly in noisy areas, as they can help to absorb noise.
Traffic noise should be reduced by using quieter vehicles, reducing the speed limit and building sound barriers.
Rules should be enforced to limit the amount of noise that is produced by different sources.
The public should be educated about the effects of noise pollution which can help to raise awareness on the issue and encourage the public to take steps to reduce it.
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