Why Sonu Nigam’s tweet against loudspeakers is a tiny spoke in a huge wheel of noise pollution

On Monday, Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam put out a tweet talking of forced religiousness in India. Twitter was immediate to respond with and people offered both support and criticism for the singer, with some of the comments taking a communal angle.

God bless everyone. I'm not a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the Azaan in the morning. When will this forced religiousness end in India

— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 16, 2017

While Sonu Nigam’s tweet resulted in a communal debate on Twitter, the bigger issue in urban India is noise pollution.

Whether it’s a religious procession, a series of fireworks going off during a political rally, or a wedding or party, loud sounds are a major cause of disturbance. Technically, as per guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in February 2000, residential areas – which are the most affected – should have noise as loud as 50 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night. If one were to draw a comparison, 50 decibels is the same as a quiet suburb, while 45 decibels is the sound one hears in a library. Mumbai during rush hour has noise as loud as 150 decibels across the city, which is the same as a jet take off.

In Parel, an area of central Mumbai, there are three major hospitals – KEM, Tata Memorial Hospital and the privately-run Global Hospital. All three of them are in a kilometre radius of each other. From this writer’s personal experience, the road is one lane on either side with certain sections with a divider. Cars, buses and taxis move slowly amidst the traffic chaos, constantly honking and in general breaking every rule when it comes to functioning at silent zones. In addition to this, loudspeakers add to the woes.

Noise pollution can also cause several health risks. In a July 2016 report in The Times of India, "Noise pollution works just like nano-sized air pollutants do: They stimulate the brain to secrete hormones that create a vasospasm (sudden constriction of a blood vessel, reducing its diameter and flow rate) and eventually leads to atherosclerosis."

Other symptoms include loss of hearing, stress and brain damage, according to several research papers. As per a 2016 ruling by the ministry, loudspeakers should not be allowed to be operated after 10 pm and before 6 am and all speakers should be fitted with a ‘Sound Limiter’.  Furthermore, loudspeakers should not be allowed for any time in silence zones i.e. 100 metres around the premises of hospitals, nursing homes, educational institutions and courts.

According to Sumaira Abdulali, the founder of Awaaz.org, a Mumbai-based NGO that works on creating awareness about sound pollution, the biggest problem is the rules that have been implemented. “While the rules are intact, it is difficult to pinpoint the source as one needs to prove that the person is guilty,” she explains.

Abdulali, however, says that the centre’s move to reduce decibel level in car horns will be a welcome change as it will at least be a start to curb sound pollution levels. “Like the no-helmet drive and seatbelt drive, the government and police need to work together to have a no sound drive,” she said.

While the government and the cops may have a sound pollution drive – sooner rather than later – the fundamental issue we face, irrespective of what section of society we hail from, is the basic regard for rules. People raise their voices in silent zones, have their mobile phones on loud mode in a movie hall, and even go beyond the stipulated deadline of 10 pm (or midnight during festivals) when it comes to playing loudspeakers. And for that, Sonu Nigam’s rant is justified.