The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change observed a ‘one-minute of silence’ programme in the city on Sunday aiming to create widespread public awareness about noise pollution.
The programme was held from 10am to 10:01 am with a slogan ‘Let’s stop sound pollution, observe a minute of silence’.
Officials and employees of the ministry, public representatives, traffic police, members of transport bodies and scout members formed human chains from 9:30 am to 10:00 am in different parts of the capital to create awareness among the people.
Holding festoons and banners, they stood near Osmani Memorial Auditorium, Shahbagh, Uttara, Bijoy Sarani, Mirpur 10 circle, Gabtoli, Moghbazar, Mohakhali, Gulshan-01, Kamalapur, Buddhist Monastery at Sabujbagh and Jatrabari intersection.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin led the programme near Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city.
Mohammad Abdus Salam Sarker, Deputy Director of the Environment Directorate, said that main objective is to create public awareness about bad impacts of noise pollution.
Dr Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that during the one minute of silence, vehicles were called on to refrain from blowing horns in a bid to maintain noise-free streets.
Excessive noise pollution can lead to numerous health issues, such as hearing loss, heart disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, mental health problems, prenatal complications, and developmental challenges in children, said Dr Farhina Ahmed.
“As a result of noise pollution, there is a negative impact on the country's human resources and the overall growth,” she added.
According to the WHO, sound above 60 decibels can cause temporary deafness and sound above 100 decibels can cause permanent deafness. Impulse noise levels were recorded ranging from a minimum of 40 decibels to a maximum of 133.4 decibels at specified locations along roads, Dr Farhina Ahmed said citing a survey conducted at 206 locations selected in eight divisional cities.
Vehicle horns are a significant contributor to noise pollution, and individuals residing in areas with frequent horn use face significant health risks, she added.