Tuesday, Jun 05, 2012
Abu Dhabi
Once quiet homes in the UAE are under invasion by an unrelenting cacophony of man and machines in the race to introduce progress to burgeoning urban landscapes.
Noise pollution - a tasteless, odourless menace -- has infilitrated UAE cities and is bombarding urban dwellers with intrusive sound waves leading to a litany of human ailments from loss of hearing to loss of sleep.
Noise pollution, in short, has become our enemy, says a newly released report by the Ministry of Interior.
“Blowing horns, loud music, jackhammers, and other sounds have turned the nation’s capital into a living noise machine,” states the March 2012 report by ministry officials in Abu Dhabi.
Noise pollution can be defined as excessive noise made by human, animal or machine that disrupts the activity, balance or harmony of normal life.
In the UAE, the most common sources of noise pollution hail from construction sites and heavy equipment used in different building activities, road traffic, airplanes, loud music and televisions.
“Noise is a major source of stress. Any stress stimulates the brain to release a stress hormone called Cortisol that weakens the system and causes several physical symptoms including headache, and muscle tension,” Dr Dolly, consultant psychologist at Gulf Diagnostic Center, told Gulf News.
“Noise pollution can cause people debilitating anxiety, frustration, irritability, anger and sleep deprivation,” she added.
Guidelines produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) say that, for a good sleep, nighttime sound levels should not exceed 30 decibels for continuous background noise or 45 decibels for individual noise events. Industry estimates however show that some construction sites produce more than 70 decibels.
Repeated long-term exposure to more than 85 decibels can lead to permanent hearing damage.
With so much recent growth and building activity, Abu Dhabi is not the quaint quiet place it was years ago.
“When I first came to Abu Dhabi, 20 years ago from Cairo, I was enchanted with its organization, yet controlled traffic and environmental calmness. The noise level is now on par with the world’s most populous cities,” said Waleed Hani, an Egyptian businessman.
Newer trends among younger generations in Abu Dhabi are helping to shatter the silence that was once golden.
At all hours, youth are cruising the city in their cars playing loud music while others have modified their car engines and muffler systems for a growling or rumbling sound that cannot help but attract attention.
Police have cracked down on the deluge of sinister sounds.
“Any modification on a vehicle to increase their sound or speed is considered a violation. This includes adding powerful stereo speakers, or elements to increase the engine noise like exhaust pipes,” said Brigadier Hussain Al Harithi, director of traffic and patrol directorate. “As of June 10, the Abu Dhabi police will be on a campaign to catch these violators. Vehicles could be seized for a month in addition to Dh900 fine per violation,” he added.
Over zealous construction firms are no exception to the law and must adhere to very strict laws in Abu Dhabi designed to protect residents, said Abdulaziz Zurub, manager of the Health, Safety and Environment division in the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.
“Permission [given] to construction sites is for operations between 7am to 8pm. The police have been informed of that. Making noises that extends beyond the allowed times and levels can be subject to fines up to Dh5,000 as set by Law No. 16, issued in 2009,” Zurub told Gulf News.
“In general, contractors comply with the regulations. However, if we receive a complaint regarding a construction site, we send an engineer on site to probe the complaint. If he confirms the violation, we issue a fine and send a note to our call center that the complaint has been dealt with,” Zurub added.
“The making of excessive and unreasonable or prohibited levels of noise, is a menace to public health, comfort, safety of the people, and prosperity of the city,” he said.
To report excessive noise problems, Zurub said people can call a noise complaint hotline at 800555 and register their displeasure with the municipality.
The Abu Dhabi Environment and Safety Management System, issued in July 2009 the Code of Practice (CoP) intended to reduce the noise levels and implement mitigation plans to control and improve quality of life in the Capital.
“More than 200 different nationalities co-exist peacefully in the UAE and to maintain this, it is essential for residents to be considerate towards their neighbours and avoid unnecessarily loud noise that is unhealthy for themselves as well as the community,” advised Lt. Colonel Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, Editor-in-Chief of 999.
By Iman Sherif Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
