Silencing the Streets: Tackling Dhaka’s Deafening Noise Crisis
My head is throbbing with pain, my eyes are hurting, and nausea overtakes me as I lie in bed, unable to sleep. Just hours earlier, I had returned home from 6 and a half grueling hours of business meetings across the cacophonous streets of Dhaka. The relentless honking of horns from cars, buses, trucks, and rickshaws still echoes in my ears. Construction drills pounding and people shouting perforate my memories. During those 400 minutes on the road, I was subjected to an average noise level of 119 decibels — the equivalent of a rock concert or ambulance siren. The nonstop auditory assault penetrated deep into my psyche, leaving me mentally drained and unable to process thoughts. As I toss and turn, praying for sleep to rescue me, one thing is clear: the extreme noise pollution plaguing Dhaka has damaged my soul. This jarring experience is a norm for residents navigating the city’s overwhelmed streets. My story illustrates the human costs of this public health crisis that no one should have to bear. When simply traversing the city streets feels like dancing beside amplifiers at a rock concert, we must take action to lower the volume before permanent damage is done.
Dhaka’s extreme noise pollution is not normal, yet it ravages lives daily.
Put in perspective, enduring an average noise level of 119 decibels in Dhaka is like living inside a helicopter cockpit during takeoff, sandwiched between amplifiers at a rock concert, or trapped inside a ambulance with sirens blaring. This unrelenting audible assault exceeds the noise produced by a chainsaw, jackhammer, and lawn mower operating simultaneously next to one’s ear. The eardrum-piercing cacophony is akin to standing beside a roaring fighter jet as it accelerates down a runway. It’s no wonder my sanity feels shredded, having navigated Dhaka’s streets. Subjecting citizens to this hazardous decibel degree everyday is borderline inhumane. No city on Earth should resemble the interior of a nightclub speaker or maintain the same deafening volume as a thunderclap. Dhaka’s extreme noise pollution is not normal, yet it ravages lives daily.
Dhaka’s average noise level of 119 decibels is not just an annoyance — it’s a destructive public health crisis.
The World Health Organization recommends average urban noise levels not exceed 50 dB during daytime. At 70 dB, hearing damage can occur with prolonged exposure. But Dhaka’s streets exceed a staggering 119 dB, subjecting citizens’ ears to the equivalent of a rock concert or ambulance siren daily. This extreme auditory assault leads to hypertension, heart disease, sleep disturbance, and hearing loss over time. Even more concerning are the impacts on children, whose developing brains and bodies are highly vulnerable to noise pollution. Exposure to such hazardous decibel levels can impair kids’ learning and language skills. It may contribute to cognitive delays, behavioral issues, and emotional problems in little ones. Imagine trying to concentrate in school while enduring a noise level akin to a helicopter taking off outside your classroom window. Dhaka’s children don’t have to imagine this acoustic torture — they live it everyday. No human, let alone a growing child, should have to endure this unprecedented audible threat. The mental and physiological health of Dhaka’s residents hangs in the balance.
Exposure to such hazardous decibel levels can impair kids’ learning and language skills
There are steps Dhaka can take to turn down the volume and restore public health. Many major cities have successfully implemented noise reduction strategies. New York utilized noise monitoring systems to identify and prosecute violating vehicles. Tokyo enacted ordinances limiting noise from loudspeakers and construction sites. Electric vehicles were promoted in Oslo to reduce traffic noise. In Rotterdam, “green noise barriers” covered in foliage were installed along busy roadways to absorb sound. Singapore launched campaigns to change cultural mindsets around honking. Dhaka could adopt decibel-lowering solutions like these that are tailored to local contexts. Potential approaches include traffic reduction policies, limiting the permissible uses of car horns, enforcing noise regulations on vehicles, restricting construction times in residential areas, installing sound barrier systems, and launching public awareness campaigns. With smart strategies and political will, the roar of Dhaka’s streets can be tamed. Citizens no longer need to endure this auditory abuse that threatens wellbeing.
