Assault on our ears must be combated

It was the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Robert Koch who, as early as 1910, foresaw that 'One day man will have to fight noise as fiercely as cholera and pest'. Koch's words ring truer than ever now, decades later.

- DEBASISH BHATTACHARYYA

Global environmental pollution is one of the most serious challenges of our time, with the fight against its very sources proving to be difficult and continuing. In India, this concern is more pressing due to a multitude of contributing factors. Among them, noise pollution plays a significant role.

It is well understood that sound, when loud, unpleasant, or unwanted, is classified as noise. Emanating from diverse sources, noise pollution not only inflicts profound physiological and psychological harm on humans but also disrupts the natural world, affecting both terrestrial and marine life.

When it comes to humans, responses to noise vary widely, influenced by factors such as age, temperament, and individual sensitivity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise pollution ranks as the third most hazardous environmental threat, following air and water pollution.

Across the country, loudspeakers operating beyond permissible limits remain an unchecked source of noise pollution, alongside other major contributors such as transportation, firecrackers, industrial and mechanical equipment, generator sets, blaring music systems, and various sound-emitting instruments.

The ground-breaking innovation of the loudspeaker revolutionized amplified sound, laying the foundation for modern audio systems. Originally designed to enhance auditory experiences—improving listening in homes, theatres, and public spaces while enriching entertainment and communication—it has, through indiscriminate and insensitive use, morphed into a significant source of noise pollution. This unchecked misuse poses serious health risks, including hearing damage, nausea, dizziness, sleep disorders, stress, and anxiety.

We live in an era of relentless, agenda-driven promotion, aggressive publicity, and cutthroat competition, where loudspeakers have been recklessly over-amplified.