We need to tackle noise pollution

Noise pollution is one environmental challenge that remains a menace in many parts of the country. The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) recently said it had the powers to prosecute churches and mosques that use loud speakers without control during worship. The DirectorGeneral of NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro, told journalists in Abuja that noise is one of the serious environmental pollutants, adding that noise affects plants, animals and humans. “Once they are subjected to noise, it leads to a lot of health problems ranging from hypertension to other diseases,” Jauro said.

Sound turns to noise when it is unpleasant or harmful to the ears. 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. Health consequences of regular exposure to consistently elevated sound levels include hearing impairment, hypertension, stress, sleep disorders, annoyance and other aggressive behaviours. A noiseless or quiet environment brings full concentration with increased productivity at work, stress relief, good health, happiness, improved intelligence and self-confidence. The effect of noise pollution on the body is that it kills slowly and silently.

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 in numbers greater than required is enough evidence to fault religious houses in the misuse of the public address system.

Any religious activity that goes beyond midnight is a discretionary event that could hold without flouting any environmental laws. Coordinators of religious events are, therefore, urged to ensure that such activities do not extend beyond midnight or the time defined by environmental laws. 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.

NESREA, which was established in 2007, has 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. Adequate attention has not actually been given to noise pollution as compared to air and water pollution in Nigeria.

If NESREA is to succeed in its efforts at tackling noise pollution from worship centres, there’s need for it to collaborate with relevant authorities at the local government level where mosques and churches exist. Authorities at that level know the leaders of every worship centre and can better facilitate the enforcement of NESREA’s laws on noise pollution. Where state or local government has its own environmental laws on noise pollution, it could use its manpower to enforce the provisions of its extant laws on noise pollution. More so, there’s no NESREA presence in all the 774 local government areas in the country.

While we advise state governments in the country to enact necessary environmental laws that can help to control noise pollution as done by the Lagos State government in 2016 through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), we call on NESREA to extend its war against noise pollution beyond worship centres; particularly to other locations that produce uncontrolled noise including hotels and social gatherings. We encourage NESREA to collaborate with relevant stakeholders including religious organisations such as the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Christian Association of Nigeria to sensitise the general public on how to go about their activities without polluting the environment with noise. To properly tackle this menace, offenders must be prosecuted and appropriately sanctioned according to provisions of the law.