This time Dhaka is at the top of the list of noise pollution Cities
The capital Dhaka has risen to the top of the list of the cities for noise pollution caused by vehicles. Moradabad in India is in the second position, and Islamabad in Pakistan is in the third position. All three cities belong to South Asia.
The latest report of the United Nations Environment Program has released these pieces of information. The report, signed by Inger Anderson, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), analyzes data from the world’s top cities, including New York, Hong Kong, and Barcelona. Rajshahi and Tangail from Bangladesh are also on the list of the UN report published in February 2022.
Other cities in India include Delhi, Kolkata, Asansol, and Jaipur. Other South Asia include Karachi in Pakistan, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Kupandol in Nepal, and Kathmandu.
The report sets the noise intensity level in two stages — residential and traffic areas. The noise level in Dhaka was 119 decibels in traffic areas and 57 decibels in residential areas.
The noise level in traffic sections of Rajshahi was 103 decibels, and in residential areas, it was 55 dB. The noise level in the Tangail traffic area, on the other hand, was 75 dB. It is 69 decibels in Tangail’s residential neighborhood.
According to the World Health Organization’s 1999 guidelines, the noise limit for people outside the home in residential areas is 55 decibels. It is 60 decibels in the traffic area. Then in 2018, in a new guideline, the World Health Organization has mentioned the sound limit of day and night separately.
It says the noise limit for people in traffic or commercial areas during the day is 53 decibels. The intensity of the noise found in Dhaka has recently exceeded all the guidelines of the World Health Organization.
The UN report said that environmental noise sources, such as road vehicles, aviation, trains, and factories harm people’s physical and mental well-being.
The report paints a picture of noise pollution in cities around the world. It said noise levels (70 decibels) exceeded the limit for 9 out of 10 public transportation users in New York City, USA. People in that city are at extreme risk of hearing loss.
In Hong Kong, on the other hand, two out of every five people live in an environment where noise levels exceed permissible limits. The report said that residents of Europe’s largest cities live in an environment where noise levels put their health at grave risk.
