Sylvie fights Kerala’s noise

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Alappuzha: As part of her campaign against Ecocide, Sylvie Ba­ntle, a German writer, settled in Alappuzha, launc­hed a novel initiative aga­in­st the alarming noise pollution.
 
Sylvie, who came back to Chettikad on Frid­ay, after a three-month-long visit to her native country, has brought a small noise level measuring instrument to get some objective numbers for documenting the daily noise pollution, in the Sate.
 
According to Sylvie, who launched an anti- ecocide campaign here, some months ago, it is an initiative aimed at making people directly aware of consequences of noise pollution. “I have been fed up with the sounds here that ranges from 110 and 120 dB,” she said.
 
“Here the people offer even prayers through high dB loudspeaker. The local people are oblivious to the intensity of the crime they have been committing. A division bench of the Kerala High Court comprising J.B. Koshy and Justice V. Giri had directed the Government in 2009 to take urgent steps to implement the section 3 of the Noise Pollution (Regu­lation and Control) Rules and section 359 of the Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules, to abate noise pollution caused by motor vehicles.
 
Apart from this, in 1993, Justice P.K. Shamsu­dheen, of the Kerala High Court, banned the use of the public address system and loudspeakers except for adhan in mosques, which lasts just for a minute or so. But the Government has no effective mechanism to tackle noise pollution. 
 
“As far as I have experienced, the powers that be encourages commoners to indulge in sound pollution. During my visit to Germany, I discussed the matter with anti-noise pollution activists.  They adv­i­sed me to buy a sound level meter so that it could convince people directly as to the intensity of the no­ise they frequently suffer. I hope the number, displ­ayed by the meter, could give insights to the people.”
 
According to Kerala Noise Pollution Standards, the State Pollution Control Board has restricted noise pollution in Industrial Area at 75 dB, Commercial Area 65, Residential Area 55 and Silence Zone 50. But nobody abides by the law.
 
“We have to argue with facts found by scientists to convince the people. I’m not criticising religion. Silence is a must during prayers to find inner peace. What happened 
to India, where meditat-ion was invented? “She asked.