Patna, March 10: The abrupt screeches of vehicles accompanied with other ear-splitting honks have become a part and parcel of life of Ravi Parmar, a resident near Rajapur bridge, one of the noisiest neighbourhoods in the state capital.

“Having spent my entire childhood in such a noisy environment, I always observed that the people around me spoke in a high pitch. The reason is clear, they were trying to be audible in such a pandemonium. A question always rattles my mind: why have I been a denied chance to live in peace inside my house?” a visibly agitated Ravi said.

It was obvious that he had given up on a possible solution of his problem.

Ravi is not an isolated case in this city. Several people have lost their peace of mind due to the noise outside that goes beyond their capacity of tolerance.

The level of noise pollution in Patna is alarming. According to reports of Bihar Pollution Control Board (BPCB) on noise-level monitoring of Patna town, only four out of the 22 locations under sensitive/silence zone, 12 out of 29 locations under residential zone, one out of 24 locations under commercial zone and four out of six locations under industrial zone, have ambient noise-level within the permissible limit as prescribed by Noise Pollution Control Rule 2000 under Environment Protection Act 1996.

The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, empowers any or every individual from such vicinities where the noise-level exceeds the ambient noise standards by 10 dB (A), to make a complaint to the authority.

The alarming noise-level in majority areas of Patna has become a cause of concern for health experts who are witnessing a rise in the number of disorders related to continuous noise exposure.

Dr S.K. Jaiswal, head of ear, nose and throat department, Patna Medical College, emphasises that though noise-induced hearing loss is permanent and incurable. Prevention is the only way out of the problem.

“According to WHO guidelines on noise pollution, continuous exposure of human ear to any sound over 90dB can cause noise trauma, which can manifest into uneasiness, headache and nausea, which eventually leads to irreversible hearing loss,” Dr Jaiswal said.

Girija Pandey, a 95-year-old resident of Raja Bazar, has suffered a similar repercussion. “My hearing ability has deteriorated in the past few years. I do attribute the loss to my age, but most of the damage was done by the round-the-clock horn-honking of vehicles,” Pandey said.

Officials from BPCB said it is the combined responsibility of various government agencies to bring down the ever-increasing noise-levels under permissible limits.

“Section 2 (a) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 includes noise in the definition of “air pollutant”. We have categorised the sources of noise into two broad categories — industrial and non-industrial. While BPCB has control over the industrial sector, we have given special attention to the acoustic enclosure of industrial units including that of widely used gensets to keep noise-level under control. We are concerned about the increasing noise-level in Patna and appeal to all the concerned agencies to implement the regulations properly to maintain an overall balanced ambient noise level in the city,” said S.N. Jaiswal, scientist, BPCB.

The traffic noise originates from needless honking and use of pressure horns, including fancy reverse horns, which are prohibited by Motor Vehicles Act. “It is not my fault that rules related to noise pollution seldom get implemented. This is examination season and I can hardly concentrate on my studies. At times, the noise is so loud it seems my head is going to burst. The traffic sense among city drivers is horrendous,” said Shagun Vatsa, a resident of Dakbungalow Chowk.

With the implementation of noise-related norms almost negligible, health experts in the city have advised people to use ear-plug, the device used by swimmers, or cotton balls when exposed to high noise, to reduce the impact.

“Precaution in such forms is advisable to prevent hearing loss or a ringing noise in the ears known as ‘tinnitus’, which can cost Rs 500-1000 for procuring respective drugs, while noise induced permanent hearing loss is irreversible and hearing-aid is the last resort,” Dr S.K. Jaiswal added.

Citizens feel helpless in the given situation. “My doctor prescribed me a hearing-aid four years ago due to noise-induced permanent hearing loss. But I cannot wear the hearing-aid all day. I face difficulty in listening to radio and watching television. Who can I blame for this loss?” asked Shanti Tripathi, resident at Jagdeo Path.