Those deafening decibels

It is official. It is on record. It is authenticated. The bell has rung loud and clear on noise pollution in the city. With the present levels of noise, Chennai can soon declare itself the `City of the Deaf'. Against the endurable 50 dB (A) we now blare off 65 units. Noise is hot. Quiet is not. You may be born free but you are not horn-free. That is the refrain of the high-power campaign kicked off for the `abatement of noise' by the Pollution Control Board. Its pitch? Make Chennai a horn-free city.

A teenager turns up at ENT specialist Dr. Srivatsan's clinic. The constant buzzing in his head is not part of the `metallic' music he hears on his Walkman. A 40-year-old mobike-riding salesman complains to audiologist Mr. Manoharan of a steady ringing in his ears. An autorickshaw driver confesses that he is partially deaf. The fatigued policeman at a busy traffic junction bawls at a cyclist. Drivers let off a string of expletives when they hear honking behind them at a traffic signal. Not long ago three school kids, startled by the sudden blast of a water monster's horn fell off their bicycle and were mowed down by it. In this endless list, the stark truth stands out. Noise hurts. In extreme cases it kills.

Noise is a definite contributor to increased stress. Its psychological effects: Stress-related disorders, fatigue, palpitation, foetal blood loss, annoyance, irritability, impaired judgment, disturbed sleep and migraine headaches. .

Still have doubts? Listen to the experts.

Audiologist Mr. Manoharan: Constant exposure to clamour results in hearing loss over a period of years. It is insidious because it creeps in silently. A study conducted among the Todas (tribes living in the Nilgiri hills) showed that the hearing capacity of a 70-year-old wasn't much different from that of a 20-year-old. The reason is obvious. The number of people between the ages of 40 and 50 seeking help for dulled hearing in Chennai is on an upward curve. Sudden and loud noise can impair aural capacity. After the Coimbatore blasts, those around reported temporary loss of hearing.

Dr. Roopa Nagarajan (Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai): In a sound move, noise pollution was introduced as a subject in the MBBS course in 1970. Noise causes harm through loudness, pitch and duration.

Industrial workers are given protection but we do nothing to protect our ears. In our school audio testing most kids failed at one frequency and 60 per cent of the teachers tested had voice problems.

Initially, the hearing threshold shift occurs at 4,000 cycles. It then moves to other frequencies. This is temporary and hearing is restored in 14 hours. With continuous clatter, damage to the ear becomes permanent. The time taken depends on individual susceptibility. But however sharp-eared you may be, on Chennai roads you just have to use ear plugs, ear muffs or noise helmets. Cotton does not help.

Dr. Kameswaran of ENT Research Foundation: According to the ILO standard, eight non-stop hours of 90 dB noise gives you acoustic trauma. Accumulated noise causes deafness. ``A good boiler maker is deaf.'' Did you read the small print in a Walkman manual? There is a warning. The only remedy is an expensive bionic cochlear implant.

Dr. Srivatsan: Noise is the bio-ecological cause of stress and deafness. Now we are exposed to it 24 hours a day. Get help when you hear an insect fluttering sound, a pressure cooker whistle or a `tip-tip-tip' in the ear. Go to a doctor when you feel your ear is blocked. Repeated sound constricts blood supply to the inner ear bringing on degenerative changes.

Dr. G. S. Thangaraj, Deputy Director (Labs) AEL TNPCB: In the last 10 years, in residential, commercial and silent zones of Chennai the ambient noise level has risen by nearly 10 percentage points. This is alarming because the increase is tabulated on a logarithmic scale. Community noise now overtakes other noises. More vehicles on the roads, poor maintenance, more celebrations — religious and social, thin walls, proliferation of electrical appliances, shopping complexes, untrained residential dogs are all causes. Mr. Mohan, Advocate, Chennai: We don't need any more laws to prevent noise. We just have to implement the ones we have with vigour. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 clearly states that every motor vehicle should be fitted with a silencer and conform to the specified noise standards. Noise was included in the definition of air pollutant in Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act in 1987. Under the Law of Torts, a civil suit can be filed claiming damages for the nuisance.

The Environment (Protection) Rules 1986 have set noise limits for every aspect of living.

There are strict rules about public address systems. Obtaining a license is mandatory and the speakers should be directed at the audience. The permitted strength of the amplifier should be just adequate to cover the audience. PA systems cannot be used for advertisement. The sound level cannot exceed the general noise level by more than 5 dB (A).

We live in a culture of cacophony. The city now boasts of 12 lakh vehicles whose combined sound emission at peak hours is well beyond the permissible decibels. So how do you make noise about noise? Raise a hue and cry. Start a ROAR — Residents' Opposition to Ambient Racket. Contact those who will help. (Police: 100, TNPCB during working hours: 2353153). Complain. If it falls on deaf ears, keep complaining, politely till your voice is heard. Enforce legislation ``whenever, wherever, however.'' Boycott autos without silencers. Request your hosts at a wedding to reduce the volume of music, so you can talk to your friends and relatives. Check your vehicle. Use a TV listening system. Cover your generator with an acoustic hood. Tell your friends `Noise is a health hazard'.

Sheela Rani Chunkath, Chairperson, TNPCB on what has been/is being done: Air horns have been banned. Cone speakers are illegal. Playing music in public between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is unlawful. The presence of loud stereos in long distance buses is being investigated. Shops that specialise in separating silencers from autos are being closed. Her appeal: As a starter, try and drive around without honking your hooter.

GEETA PADMANABHAN

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