Controlling noise pollution

Barely 72 hours after recently sealing some hotels and religious houses within Lagos metropolis, the Lagos State government through the State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) shut another set of religious houses, industries and clubs for contravening the guidelines on noise, air and environmental pollution. Speaking on the matter, the General Manager LASEPA, Engr. Ademola Shabi, […]

Barely 72 hours after recently sealing some hotels and religious houses within Lagos metropolis, the Lagos State government through the State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) shut another set of religious houses, industries and clubs for contravening the guidelines on noise, air and environmental pollution.
Speaking on the matter, the General Manager LASEPA, Engr. Ademola Shabi, said forty religious outfits were affected in the most recent series of enforcement; adding that ten factories, night clubs and other business outfits were sealed by the agency in order to return sanity to the environment. He further observed that if this tone of enforcement is sustained for another 6 months, the level of non-compliance would be reduced.
Shabi lamented that the agency had received thousands of complaints from residents over the increased rate of noise pollution in Lagos. He debunked allegations that sentiments underscored the sealing of religious houses affected by the enforcement of state environmental laws; stressing that the “shutting down of religious houses is not to witch-hunt but to correct the anomalies in the society”.
Engr. Shabi explained that exposure to noise level of about 150 decibel for 6 hours could lead to deafness. According to him, noise level in industrial areas is expected to be at 90 decibel at daytime and 80 at night. In mixed (residential and industrial) settlements, noise level is expected to be at 65 decibel during the day and 55 decibel at night. When noise from industries, construction sites, religious and club houses exceeds the recommended level of decibel defined by environmental and health authorities, it amounts to pollution and therefore hazardous to the wellbeing of all those within the reach of the noise. Any excessive amount of noise that disrupts the natural rhythm of life certainly makes for one solid pollutant.
Besides being an environmental hazard to the health of residents, disproportionate noise especially at odd hours infringes upon the rights of others. While God made the day for man to toil, the night is naturally for rest and sleep. The right of residents to this natural pleasure must therefore not be hindered or interrupted. Health consequences of regular exposure to consistent elevated sound level include hearing impairment, hypertension, stress, sleep disorders, annoyance and other aggressive behaviours.
It is typical of hotel and bar operators to play loud music throughout the night without caring about the nuisance such an action constitutes to residents. The abuse of religious rites through night vigils in churches and preaching in the mosques has also become a source of noise pollution in Nigeria. The fact that the loudspeakers of some religious houses are sometimes equal in size to even the building hosting the device is enough evidence to fault religious houses in the misuse of public address systems.
The call to prayer by Muslims, unlike the night vigil in Christendom, is a rite that does not usually last longer than five minutes on each of the five occasions it takes place daily. The last of it comes up at about 8.00pm when the night is still young. Any religious activity that goes beyond midnight is a discretionary event that should and could hold without flouting any environmental laws. Coordinators of religious and social events should ensure that such activities do not extend beyond midnight or the time defined by the state environmental law. Proprietors of religious houses would equally do better by locking up their places of worship to forestall any follower misusing their building to contravene environmental laws on noise pollution.
While we advice other states in the country, as Lagos did, to enforce environmental laws on noise pollution, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) which has patently failed in its statutory responsibilities must wake up from its slumber to ensure that environmental laws are strictly adhered to with offenders prosecuted and appropriately sanctioned according with provisions of the Act. NESREA which was established in 2007 has the statutory responsibility for the protection and development of the Nigerian environment including coordination and liaison with relevant stakeholders within and outside Nigeria on matters of enforcement of environmental standards, regulations, rules, laws, policies and guidelines.