Most of the industries use big machines which are capable of producing large amount of noise.

Apart
from that, various equipments like compressors, generators, exhaust fans, grinding mills also participate
in producing big noise. Therefore, you must have seen workers in these factories and industries wearing
ear plugs to minimize the effect of noise.Noise is at its peak in most of the social events. Whether it is
marriage, parties, pub, disc or place of worship, people normally flout rules set by the local
administration and create nuisance in the area. People play songs on full volume and dance till midnight
which makes the condition of people living nearby pretty worseAny unwanted sound that our ears have
not been built to filter can cause problems within the body. Our ears can take in a certain range of
sounds without getting damaged. Man made noises such as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes
and even vehicles can be too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can
easily result in the damage of our ear drums and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds
that our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.Excessive noise pollution in working
areas such as offices, construction sites, bars and even in our homes can influence psychological health.
Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue
and hypertension can be linked to excessive noise levels. These in turn can cause more severe and
chronic health issues later in life.

3. Sleeping Disorders: Loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping pattern and may lead to irritation
and uncomfortable situations. Without a good night sleep, it may lead to problems related to fatigue and
your performance may go down in office as well as at home. It is therefore recommended to take a
sound sleep to give your body proper rest.High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow two
people to communicate freely. This may lead to misunderstanding and you may get difficult
understanding the other person. Constant sharp noise can give you severe headache and disturb your
emotional balance.As of now, there do not exist many solutions to reduce sound pollution. On a personal
level, everybody can help reducing the noise in their homes by lowering the volume of the radio, music
system and the television. Listening to music without headphones is also a good step forward. Removal
of public loudspeakers is another way in which the pollution can be countered.

As is controlling the sound levels in clubs, bars, parties and discos. Better urban planning can help in
creating ‘No-Noise’ zones, where honking and industrial noise are not tolerated. It is only when our
understanding noise pollution is complete, can we take steps to eradicate it completely.Noise from
mechanical saws and pneumatic drills is unbearable and a nuisance to the public.

The Indian Institute of Oto-Rino Laryngology, Chennai reported that increasing industrial pollution
damages the hearing ability by atleast 20%.

Workers in steel industry, who work close to heavy industrial blowers are exposed to 112dB for eight
hours suffer from occupational pollution.

Noise from mechanical saws and pneumatic drills is unbearable and a nuisance to the public.
The Indian Institute of Oto-Rino Laryngology, Chennai reported that increasing industrial pollution
damages the hearing ability by atleast 20%.

Workers in steel industry, who work close to heavy industrial blowers are exposed to 112dB for eight
hours suffer from occupational pollution.

The dramatic and comparatively recent rise in noise levels is marked in both magnitude and extent, with
an estimated 30% of the European population exposed to road traffic noise levels greater than 55dB
(decibels) at night, well above the 40dB target recommended by the World Health Organisation. Even
remote natural areas do not escape the reach of anthropogenic, or manmade, noise. One study across
22 US national parks demonstrated that this kind of noise was, on average, audible more than 28% of
the time.

Noise is not just irritating; we have known for some time that it can have direct human health impacts.
Indeed, chronic exposure to noise levels above 55dB dramatically increases the risks of heart disease and
stroke, while aircraft noise has been shown to impact the development of reading skills in children
attending schools close to busy airports. The WHO estimates that in Europe at least a million healthy life
years are lost every year due to traffic noise.

Difficulties of measurement

Studying noise isn’t an easy thing to do. First of all, sound levels cannot accurately be measured and
defined using a single absolute scale, such as those used for temperature, rainfall and wind speed. For
simplicity we often just refer to a decibel level, but this does not take into account the duration and
frequency of the acoustical signal. The specific effects of noise also need to be disentangled from the
sources of disturbance that often accompany it, including human presence, habitat fragmentation and
chemical pollution.

The need to further understand the complex biological effects of noise and establish scientifically
relevant thresholds of noise exposure is a priority for human health and wildlife conservation. Rapid
development, urbanisation and population growth are set to continue into the future. As a result we
need to ensure a collaborative effort between scientists, industry and government to protect natural
soundscapes where possible, while also promoting new technology and approaches that mitigate the
effects of noise.

Man made noise is a relatively recent phenomenon, particularly in evolutionary terms, but scientific
studies have demonstrated that it has the potential to adjust behaviour, alter physiology and even
restructure animal communities. Ultimately, such a strong selection pressure could drive evolutionary
change. These are complex questions that are now being explored by experts across a range of
disciplines from animal behaviour to bioacoustics.

The ConversationGraeme Shannon, Lecturer, Bangor University

Forum, Prevention Of Envn. & Sound ... vs Union Of India & Anr on 28 October, 2005

On behalf of the appellant, it has been submitted that this Court in its Judgment dated July 18, 2005
Noise Pollution (V), in Re., (2005) 5 SCC 733, has held that freedom from noise pollution is a part of the
right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. Noise interferes with the fundamental right of the
citizens to live in peace and to protect themselves against forced audience. This Court has also held that
as between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. which is the time for the people to sleep and have peace, no noise
pollution can be permitted. The appellant also submits that the impugned sub-rule (3) which permits the
State Government to relax the applicability of sub-rule (2) and grant exemption therefrom between 10
p.m. and 12 midnight, is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution and runs counter to the law laid down
by this Court in Noise Pollution (V), in Re. (supra).

A query was raised that once the power to grant exemption is allowed, often the exemption becomes
the rule. Exemptions tend to be granted as a matter of course and are thus often misused. Another
query raised during the course of hearing was that in the event of the vires of the said sub-rule (3) being
upheld, nothing prevents the Government from amending the Noise Rules and enhancing the number of
days on which the power to grant exemption would be available or increasing the permissible hours of
relaxation and that would again defeat the very object of preventing noise pollution. The learned
Solicitor General responded by submitting that the impugned sub-rule has very limited operation which
is reasonable and may not be interfered with by the Court, subject to certain further restrictions. The
learned Solicitor General submitted that the Government does not propose to widen the scope of the
exemption either by increasing the number of days or by enhancing the duration of hours of exemption.
In spite of the exemption being granted, the Government would take care to see that the noise level
does not exceed prescribed decibel limits.

Certain intervention applications were also filed. One application is by nine organizations/bodies situated
in Pune, seeking impleadment at the hearing in the appeal, so as to support the impugned judgment of
the High Court. There were other prayers for interventions seeking directions for widening the scope of
exemption under sub-rule (3) of Rule 5. We make it clear at the very outset, as we did in Noise Pollution
(V), in Re. (supra) that we are not concerned with any religion or religious practices; we are concerned
only with the fundamental right of the citizens and the people to protect themselves against noise
pollution and forced audiences. We are inclined to quote the following passage from Times of India (The
Speaking Tree) dated 7.10.2005:

Before parting, we would like to clarify further that we may not be understood as diluting in any manner
our holding in Noise Pollution (V), in Re. (supra). We are also not granting any exemption or relaxation in
favour of anyone by our verdict. We are only upholding the constitutional validity of the Noise Rule
framed by the Central Government in exercise of its statutory powers.

Subject to the observations made hereinabove, the appeal is dismissed and the Judgment of the High
Court is affirmed.