It was none other than 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.”
Sound, when loud, unpleasant, or unwanted, is classified as noise. Emanating from diverse sources, noise pollution not only inflicts physiological and psychological harm on humans but also disrupts the natural world, affecting both terrestrial and marine life. According to the World Health Organization, noise pollution ranks as the third-most hazardous environmental threat, following air and water pollution.
In India, loudspeakers operating beyond permissible limits remain an unchecked source of noise pollution; transportation, firecrackers, industrial and mechanical equipment, generator sets, blaring music systems and various sound-emitting instruments are some of the other contributors.
We also live in an era of relentless, agenda-driven promotion, aggressive publicity, and cut-throat competition where the use of loudspeakers has been recklessly overamplified. A significant share of avoidable noise violations stems from political, religious, and social events despite the fact that both Central and state Pollution Control Boards have established permissible noise levels for different zones — residential, silent, industrial, and commercial — regulating them for daytime and night time. According to the rules, loudspeakers are prohibited between 10 pm and
6 am, except within enclosed spaces; and even then, only for internal communication. Yet, the stark reality reveals the blatant defiance of noise pollution norms disrupting students’ studies, disturbing professionals at work, and infringing on the fundamental right to peace and quiet.
While we may not eliminate excessive noise entirely, we can enhance compliance by adopting a multifaceted approach that includes technological innovation,
advanced construction methods, improved product design, noise barriers, and thoughtful urban planning. However, what is of paramount importance is adhering to established regulations.
Interestingly, the violators themselves are aware of their transgressions. Yet, they remain indifferent, having successfully conditioned society into passive acquiescence. Consequently, the common sentiment among the aam aadmi is that any opposition risks severe backlash, branding individuals as anti-religion or politically adversarial.
Supreme Court and high court rulings have condemned noise pollution. Just this year, the Bombay High Court ruled that loudspeakers are not essential to religion and directed the state to curb noise pollution at religious places through calibrated sound systems. Similarly, the Allahabad High Court held that loudspeakers cannot be claimed as a right when they create a nuisance.
We have already made the world increasingly calamity-prone — clean air and water are vanishing, forests are shrinking, and the environment is deteriorating. Yet, this relentless degradation continues despite grave warnings, alarming statistics, and mounting evidence from concerned agencies.
Why is the redressal of shared suffering, that of piercing cacophony in this instance, so difficult?
One reason is that changing deeply entrenched beliefs is among the hardest challenges. We wait for others to initiate change while absolving ourselves of responsibility. Another reason is our misplaced priorities. We allow technology, social media, and digital distractions to tighten their grip on our lives, impairing environmental well-being in the process. Finally, we have grown indifferent to others’ discomfort. With little fear of consequences, violators act with impunity.
Environmental destruction spares no one: it will ultimately consume the powerful and the powerless, the religious and the non-religious. It is time we recognise the urgency of tackling the menace of loudspeakers to safeguard the environment and the rule of law.
Debasish Bhattacharyya is the author of Whispers of an Ordinary Journey