ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday September 9, 2007
Vol. 42 - No 15
Plus  

Blaring loud speakers that violate the laws

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country and thus we have to be considerate and careful not to disturb others with our practices. Whatever religion, especially when living in the city when loud speakers blare out - in actuality, it is noise pollution.

I live in Kirulapone and near the Food City there, the mosque blares out prayer calls five times a day. But the most intolerable time is when they blare out so loudly at 4.30 every morning when the rest of the communities are fast asleep. It has become a great public nuisance and in fact, this kind of noise pollution is illegal.

Standards have been set in Sri Lanka for noise levels through the National Environmental (noise control) Regulations No. 1 of 1996. These regulations set out the methods for measuring and calculating environmental noise level and are in accordance with those laid down in ISO1996 (Acoustics - description, measurement and assessment of environmental noise).

The recent handbook “Your Environmental Rights and Responsibilities” published by the Environmental Foundation sets out all these regulations and laws and the rights of citizens to take legal action for the violation of their right to live in a peaceful environment.

Specifically mentioned are the noise pollution caused by loud speakers. Noise levels are permissible to an accepted level of decibels. But definitely not to the levels that are being blared out for these prayer calls. According to the law, day time is measured from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and night time from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The noise levels should be even less during night time. Thus 4.30 a.m. in the morning falls into the night time slot.

Where ever loud speakers are blaring out - they are violating the environmental laws of the country and the rights of the citizens. Thus legal action could and should be taken to safeguard the well-being of people and their right to live in a peaceful surrounding.

Surely, in this day and age where people have alarm clocks and other means to remind them of prayer times, is there a need to disturb the rest of the people with blaring loud speakers? In Western countries these types of noise are definitely not tolerated. Whey aren’t the authorities in this country curbing these illegal practices that are violating the laws laid down in the country? Also isn’t it high time that every community realizes that this kind of activity leads to more communal disharmony. To live in an amicable manner we all have to be sensitive to each others' feelings and not inconvenience any community.

A harassed resident of Kirulapone

 
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Copyright 2007 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka.