- Health expert Dr Waseem Khawaja calls noise pollution injurious to public health
ISLAMABAD: There is a dire need to bring reforms in the code of conduct for using public address system irrationally at every nook and corner of the country for electioneering as noise pollution is affecting routine life general public.
The general public demanded of the quarter concerned to ensure its judicious use of amplifier system for public comfort and ease, especially sick and children. Asghar Khan, a senior citizen, complained that the campaigns were scattered to everywhere till late hours which has brought hooliganism, disturbing senior citizens and children’s comfort time.
“Enthusiasts only care about the promotion and projection of their candidates but nobody bother about the comfort of the general public,” he said. Shahbaz Abbasi, suffering from heart disease, said that he was having restless nights due to consistent campaign of the political parties on loud speaker system these days.
“I am going through serious agony of discomfort due to high volume of speakers installed at political parties’ camps offices located in residential units,” he said. Sugra Abid, a working woman, said that her baby was feeling uncomfortable and unable to sleep properly due to noise pollution created by the campaigners round the clock.
She said that she was also mentally disturbed due to her baby’s uneasiness and not in a position to perform her official duty as per aspirations of her immediate supervisor. She urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to take a serious notice on this issue of the public interest and issue a directive into the matter to prohibit such noisy activities from residential areas.
Dr Waseem Khawaja, a health expert, warned that noise pollution was injurious to public health especially for those suffering from hypertension and high blood pressure. He said that the public awareness campaign was the need of the hour about health hazards of the noise pollution and it was psychologically detrimental to those suffering from different ailments.
Uzma Saeed, an environmentalist, said that the noise pollution creates electromagnetic radiations which disturb flora and fauna by directly affecting their brains and senses. She said that only humans were not vulnerable to radiations and noise frequencies but animals were more sensitive due to weak defence system and limited ability to regulate their body temperature.
As the ongoing campaigns culminated on Monday night, the electoral reforms’ bodies should come up with a solid solution before the next election for proper use of the public address and sound systems.