People living along the coastal belt had to face the music, quite literally, due to noise pollution. It is learnt that parties were going on full swing in the coastal belt with music booming throughout the night much to the annoyance of the local residents up until the High Court order for the concerned authorities to take necessary steps to curb noise pollution.
The most common health problem noise pollution causes is ‘Noise Induced Hearing Loss’ (NIHL). Exposure to loud noise can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have also been attributed to noise exposure. It can become a disturbance for students who burn the midnight oil preparing for the exams. Noise pollution also has an effect on wildlife. High intensity sound induces fear, which can force species to abandon their habitat.
It is understood that in Goa there is a dedicated 24-hour helpline 112 for registering complaints pertaining to noise pollution. The complaints registered with the police are reportedly forwarded to the nodal points maintained in the police control room and the duty officer forwards the complaint manually to the local police station of the area as per the location of the complaint for necessary action. Since all provisions are not covered under the Noise Pollution Rules 2000, the government has reportedly stated that directions can be issued that habitual violators not be granted any permission for playing music/using amplified sound systems and/or loudspeakers for two years. Now loud sound is prohibited beyond 10 pm. However religious ceremonies are allowed to have amplified sound till midnight. Whether all these steps will effectively curb noise pollution, remains to be seen.
