German scientist and Nobel laureate Robert Koch said in 1910 that one day noise for humans will become a bigger pandemic than diarrhea and plague. And see today, cholera and plague are no longer pandemics, but noise pollution has become an pandemic. There are many studies that prove that continuous noise pollution can give heart attack. Continuous noise pollution can give high BP, this constant loud noise can cause swelling in the nerves of the heart and brain.
Hundreds of people living in Vasant Kunj, Delhi’s poshest area, are fighting against the noise of airplanes. In fact, airplanes landing on runway 29-11 of the International Airport pass through the closest to Vasant Kunj. Where there is usually noise every two minutes. This noise has disturbed the people badly day or night. Distressed by this noise pollution, residents of Vasant Kunj have written a letter to the Airport Authority and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, asking them to either reduce the noise from the planes or the government should bear the cost of sound proofing their homes.
The residents of Vasant Kunj have been fighting this battle for the last 14 years through RTI and courts. In 2018, the NGT also directed the airport authority to take steps to reduce the noise. But this sky noise is still wreaking havoc on the ground. Let us tell you that in a research done by the Central Road Research Institute on noise pollution, it was found that people who live in houses built on the side of the road can never sleep peacefully.
What are the standards?
Normally the conversation between two people is 40 to 50 decibels, but people who live near road traffic, listen to 60 decibels continuously, then it has a bad effect on 17.1 percent of the people. Similarly, if there is 70 decibels of sound, 29.4 percent, if 75 decibels sound is 39.6 percent and 80 decibels sound, then 49.6 percent of the people are affected, they become a victim of sleeplessness and irritability. Now if you add the noise of the landing and take-off of the aircraft along with the traffic, then what will be the result can be understood very well.
According to a report by the Indian Medical Association, the sound of more than 80 decibels not only damages the ears but also has a bad effect on the whole body. Heart rate and blood pressure increase due to high noise. Noise at night affects the sleep of the elderly and young children, it also increases irritability and stress. Noise can also affect your ability to work. According to WHO, due to noise pollution, the hearing ability of about 63 million people in India has been severely affected. Everyone has the freedom of expression in our country, but no one has the freedom to not listen to noise – so we have to take care of our heart and it is very important to raise our voice against the violence caused by noise pollution.