IMA INITIATIVE FOR SAFE SOUND Chairman: Dr. K.A. Seethi National Coordinator: Dr. C. John Panicker

W HAT I MA SAFE SOUND INITIATIVE CAN DO … IMA Safe Sound Initiative Chapters at State and District levels Involve prominent public persons like Teachers, Lawyers, Journalists, Businessmen, Artists, Religious leaders and Politicians

PUBLIC AWARENESS Publicity videos Media discussion News paper articles

PUBLIC AWARENESS Advertisement Boards in public places Information Booklets Seminars and Interactive sessions for the public Open house discussions to be arranged by local IMA branches involving the public, media, opinion makers Helpline for victims of noise pollution

S TUDENT AWARENESS School health and awareness programme Information books Seminars and Interactions Students are the best media for disseminating information…

P LAN OF ACTION Each IMA Local branch to identify resource persons National level ToT followed by State level training for local branch resource persons Each branch to conduct 5-minute awareness talk and a pledge in all schools under their area drawing competition on sound pollution for school students and give awards during IMA monthly meeting Branches to do advocacy with District Magistrates (Collectors) to bring out orders (using Trivandrum model) State IMA units to do advocacy with state government to bring in legislation Public awareness, media discussions, public debates, advocacy with loud-speaker operators, temples, mosques

RESOURCE SLIDES

SOUND Sound is alternate contraction and rarefaction of molecules travelling in a wave form

UNIT OF SOUND Decibel- Unit of Measuring sound Logarithmic value of ratio of standard sound to the sound in question. Zero decibel is the minimum intensity a healthy person can hear 100 db is 10 (1000 crores) intensity ampified

SOUND LEVELS Normal Speech db Shouting 50 db Ordinary car horn 70 db Air Horn db Rock Music 100 db Busy street noise db

NOISE Any abnormal sounds that irritates human beings is called noise. Unwanted intolerable Undesirable byproduct of technological advance. Nuisance and health hazard too.

INDIA World capital of noise metropolitan cities > 90 decibels (Decibel is the unit of sound pressure expressed in logarithmic scale.)

SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION Traffic- (Automobiles, Trains, Aero planes). Loudspeakers. Religious and social ceremonies. (Studies by SOCLEEN in Bombay during Ganapathi festival in 1980 showed that noise levels was 97 decibels) Industrial: Factories, construction activities, machineries. High decibel music. Home noise - TVs, Radios, music players, high speed fans, air conditioners, home appliances.

EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION Humans 1. Systemic Effects 2. Effect on Hearing 3. Emotional 4. Mental 5. Social Animals Inanimate Things

SYSTEMIC EFFECTS Increase in heart rate Blood sugar increase Changes in respiratory rate Hypertension. Peptic ulcer, Hyper acidity Asthmatic attacks Heart attacks Changes in pregnancy Giddiness in Meniere’s

E FFECTS ON HEARING Temporary threshold shift Exposure to short duration loud sound. Permanent threshold shift Exposure to continuous loud sounds. Presbyacusis Old age deafness is a cumulative effect Tinnitus Effects depend on Loudness, nature of sound, Duration and time distribution, Total exposure in the lifetime.

M ENTAL / P SYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS Lack of concentration. Decreased memory. Inability to do skilled work/ learning. Loss of sleep. Irritability Poor academic performance Precipitation of Psychiatric illness and Seizure Effects on animals and other living or even non living things. (eg damage to old buildings)

MAX. NOISE STANDARDS Ambient Air Quality Standards in respect of noise Daytime – 6am to 10 pm, Night – 10 pm to 6 am Silent zone - Not less than 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions, courts or other areas declared DayNight AIndustrial75 decibels70 BCommercial6555 CResidential5545 DSilent Zone5040

PREVENTION Restriction of loud speakers Duration / loudness. Avoid loud speakers in open spaces Crackers Time restriction. Use of noiseless fire crackers. Traffic Restrict extra and air horns When giving fitness certificate, measure the noise levels of engines. Discourage using horns as much as possible. Enforce silent zones strictly.

INDUSTRY AND CONSTRUCTION Employees should use ear plugs / ear muffs Acoustic barriers Maximum sound should be 75 decibels Check hearing periodically

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT Enforce the laws strictly Noise pollution (regulation and control) Rules Helpline - officials to take action on public complaints. No amount of legislation will help unless the public is convinced that noise is a menace and takes steps to curb it.

As guardian of health of the Nation, IMA has to take up the leadership in educating and controlling this grave health issue so that India is a better place to live in …. …..to achieve this we have to make this the people’s initiative THANK YOU