AMA To Sensitize Public Against Noise Pollution

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has reinforced its decision to clamp down on excessive noise in public and has begun a programme to sensitize the general public against noise pollution.

The Assembly has enacted bye-law to stifle the situation but warned the citizenry not to generate noise above the established levels.

Sound generation in Ghana has over the years been a significant part of human activities whether outdoor or indoor. Noise control and the enforcement of appropriate noise levels at various places have become an environmental concern particularly in urban settlements in the country.

As some entities cannot do away with the generation of sound, similarly there has been rampant sound pollution leaving the general public to wonder which levels are permissible for noise or sound generation.

Despite the Assembly’s efforts to check noise pollution in the country, several offenders are sometimes left off the hook and scuttling around with none of them being penalized for disturbing public peace.

Peacefmonline.com sought answers from the authorities.

Speaking in an interview with Peacefmonline.com, the Metro Public Health Director of the Assembly, Dr. S. A. Boateng outlined some frantic efforts the AMA is making to curb the situation.

As a matter of concern, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly has rolled out a number of punitive measures to sanction culprits and maintain a serene atmosphere.

According to him, the Assembly has set up 10 sub-metro stations in the capital city to ensure that persons who pollute sound do not go scot free.

He explained that the Assembly has trained a bunch of environmental health officers to educate and punish offenders of the bye-law that regulate sound generation.

Though it has become necessary for the Assembly to check noise levels, they are however faced with difficulties in apprehending the lawbreakers and therefore urged the public to report persons who produce noise above the acceptable range.

Dr. Boateng was particularly concerned about the effects of sound pollution which he said could be “injurious to the health” of Ghanaians, hence the need for public education.

He admittedly stressed that albeit the Assembly is doing its best to maintain a minimal noise pollution, the onus lies with Ghanaians to lodge complaints at the substations whenever they become agitated by the noises in their vicinities, predominantly from entertainment activities, machinery, music shops, churches among others.

He intimated that several culprits have been arrested and are yet to be arraigned before court for prosecution; key among them are Preachers.

“We have arrested quite a number of them. We cease their instruments. These people are not stationary. So, we cannot give them summons because you don’t even know their address. So, when it happens like that, we tell them stop preaching…if they take it we are okay but if we go there the next time and they are still there, we just take them; take their instruments. And at times we get them and then punish them.”

“At times too when it is too much [the sound is too much] and we think it is injurious to the health of the people, we are forced; of course backed by the bye-law to cease the instruments and confiscate them.”

Explaining further to Peacefmonline.com, the Environment Health Technologist in charge of Public Health Information programme at the Assembly, Wisdom Aditse bemoaned the unwillingness by some Ghanaians to lodge complaints. This he said makes it difficult for the officers to swoop down on the wrongdoers and also ensure that people who generate noise do so not to the detriment of the general public.

He thus enlightened the public about the permissible ambient noise levels stipulated by the Environmental Protection Agency saying residential areas are permitted to produce sounds within 55 decibels (db) in the day and 48 decibels (db) in the night.

Educational and health facilities are expected to produce sounds within 55 db in the day and 50 db in the night while commercial areas are within 60-75 db and 55-60 db, entertainment centres, churches, mosques can make noise within the ranges of 65 db and 60 db day and night respectively. Industrial areas are also delimited within 70db in the day and 60-70 db in the night.

He therefore appealed to Ghanaians to report cases of noise pollution to the Assembly for the necessary actions to be meted out to the offenders.

 

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana