Noise Pollution and Its Consequences on Urban Health in Sylhet City

Abstract

Sylhet is one of the fast growing cities in Bangladesh. It has witnessed unprecedented population growth in the recent years. Migration of people from different parts of the country to Sylhet city especially for education and employment has substantially increased over the last 20 years. The trend of urbanization has engulfed adjacent rural areas of the city which has been attracting investments in multiple sectors like education, health, industry, commerce, and trade. As a result, phenomenal growth of transports of varied types, converted natural gas (CNG) refueling stations, engineering and welding workshops of different sorts is seen throughout the city. Moreover, a power generating station has been located very close to the residential areas, just around five kilometers away from the centre of the city. The roads inside the city always remain busy with vehicles-jam resulting in a severe chaotic situation that causes harm to human physiological and psychological health. The main sources of intolerable noise in the city are huge numbers of transports, CNG stations, engineering and welding workshops and a power generating station that all are generally located along with the major thoroughfare. The aims of the current study are to measure and realize the amount of noise pollution that occurs at industrial, commercial, residential, and silence zones of the city. It investigates physiological and psychological sufferings of the affected people living in different areas and experiencing continuous noise from varied sources. The study tries to perceive the level of awareness among the people who regularly face unbearable noise, and it also explores the kinds of treatment people might have taken from the physicians because of noise pollution. The nature of the study is basically qualitative. But quantitative measurement of noise is carried out meticulously so that the rate of noise pollution at different areas could be understood better. Purposive sampling technique is used to select 20 persons from four different zones–industrial, commercial, residential and silence—in order to understand the physiological and psychological sufferings of the people. Another 20 persons are selected using accidental sampling technique from the same four zones in the same way to realize people’s awareness about noise pollution that they encounter in their day-to-day life and also their suggestions to reduce its rate. Two interview guides are adopted for the study; one is for collecting qualitative data relating to physiological and psychological sufferings of the people and the treatment sought because of noise pollution, and the other one is for collecting qualitative data that helps understand the level of people’s awareness with regard to noise pollution. The findings of the study show that noise pollution at different zones goes beyond the acceptable limit, and people have multiple physiological and psychological sufferings due to noise pollution, which have sometimes forced them to seek medical treatment. It also shows that people’s awareness about noise pollution seems to be gradually growing high in Sylhet city.