Human Health, Diseases and the Environment

1. Research was performed on Noise Pollution in Bangladesh in 1999 by me. From the graph 1 a comparison of sound levels of dB (A) by types of area in the cities of Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna, it is found that sound level of Dhaka is higher than sound level of both in Chittagong and Khulna. From the graph it also appears that in all cities of Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna sound level exist in epidemic form establishing the grave situation of noise pollution. This bear testimony to the prediction of ENT specialists of Bangladesh which reads as follows "After (20-25) years i.e. by 2025, 50% of the population of Dhaka city would be loosing their hearing capacity by 30 dB(A) if immediate steps are not taken to prevent, control and monitor noise hazards and ill effects and annoyance produced by noise pollution."

The situation of Noise Pollution in 2002 in Dhaka City was found by me by comparison of observed dB(A) in Dhaka City for the year 2002 with that of 1999 with accepted dB(A) by GOB (See graph 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3. Survey and Laborotary methods of noise measurement is shown in Table 1. The Tafsil regarding sound level approved by the Govt. of Bangladesh is shows in Table 1.A.)

By the use of instrument sound level meter a survey was conducted to determine the noise level pollution in forty five localities in the Dhaka City. The decibel was observed in 18 Generic Sensitive areas (see Table-2 ) like educational institutes, hospitals, mosques, temples, churches and residential areas, 22 specific sensitive areas covering commercial areas, industrial areas, busy traffic roads, bus and launch terminals, airport and 5 mixed areas consisting of residential, commercial and industrial. In 2002 decibel observed in areas of different category in the Dhaka City was compared to those decibel permissible declared by the Bangladesh Government and also were compared to the findings of similar survey conducted in the same localities in 1999 in the Dhaka City, (see Table-3)

Out uf 45 localities of Dhaka City selected in 2002 and 45 localities taken under consideration in 1999 covering silent residential, commercial, industrial and mixed areas of 20 localities had noise level fluctuating in and around permissible noise level accepted by Government of Bangladesh. This means 55.5% of the surveyed areas showed higher sound level limit dB(A) than the accepted permissible limit. Only 44.5% of the surveyed areas fluctuated in and around permissible noise level. But in the survey conducted in 1999, 16 localities had noise level fluctuating in and around permissible noise level accepted by Govt. of Bangladesh. In other words 64% of surveyed areas showed higher sound level limit in 2002, whereas 55.5%of surveyed areas showed sound level limit higher than accepted level.

See
Graph-1,
Graph-2 ,
Graph-2.1,
Gra]h-2.2,
Graph- 2.3

See
Table-1,
Table-1A
Table-2,
Table-3)

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