Police in Mukono district completed engaging of bar owners and managers on dangers of noise pollution before implementing a crackdown.
The engagement follows a directive issued in April by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi to all territorial commanders to crackdown on those involved in noise pollution in the country.
The Kampala Metropolitan East Environment Unit Commander, ASP Joseph Ssentamu together with Mukono division in charge reveals that despite the several warnings, they still receive overwhelming complaints from especially residential areas about noise pollution during night and day.
He notes that besides noise from the bars and born-again churches, in Mukono sound trucks also make drives in restricted areas such as hospitals, courts of law and schools without reducing sound levels.
“We shall implement this using the National Environmental Management Authority noise ordinances to purposely address the massive complaints from residents about polluting facilities among others bars, churches, residential parties.” ASP Ssentamu says.
Nonetheless, stakeholders still plead with police to sensitize them about accepted levels of sound besides producing simple materials breaking down NEMA ordinances rather than just issuing threats.
Joseph Musinguzi, the manager for Pearl Resort at Mbalala Mukono says the sensitization done by police is still wanting since they also lack a proper strategy suiting Mukono especially when it comes to differentiating bars located in industrial, business, health and residential areas.
The Chairperson for Mukono Bar Owners and Proprietors Association, Denis Ntege is suspicious that the police move is aimed at creating unnecessary meaning of charging them like the case was during lockdown.
In the same efforts to control the increasing noise pollution in Mukono Municipality, last month, the Municipal Mayor Erisa Mukasa Nkoyoyo revealed that they procured a sound level meter to help measure the volume of noise made in the town.
According to the World Health Organization, exposure to elevated sound levels or constant noise beyond 85 decibels for more than eight hours may be hazardous for human health.
This is the kind of noise that someone may be exposed to if they work near a busy road or highway, where they listen to constant street traffic sounds from cars, buses, and ambulances.
Such sound can also be picked from construction sounds like drilling or other heavy machinery in operation, constant loud music in or near commercial venues, industrial sounds like fans, generators, compressors, mills, and events involving fireworks, firecrackers and loudspeakers, among others.
According to medical experts, such exposure could lead to hypertension arising out of elevated blood levels for a longer period, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, Dementia, and Psychological dysfunctions and can also affect Child development.
It’s against this background that Mukono municipality authorities also invested seven million Shillings to procure two handheld sound level meters to monitor noise levels in the Central and Goma divisions.
The machine comprises a microphone, a preamplifier, a signal processor and a display. The microphone converts the sound signal to an equivalent electrical signal and enables the machines to measure sound at different rates by recording, reporting and also analyzing noise exposure.
Nkoyoyo notes that the environment technical team is going to use the National Environment (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2003 to monitor noise levels.
The regulations ensure the maintenance of a healthy environment for all people in the country by prescribing the maximum permissible noise levels from a facility or activity to which a person may be exposed.
The standards empower the environmental inspectors at the local council to seize, impound or confiscate any property, tool, machinery or another instrument which causes the emission of noise, if, in his or her opinion the confiscation would cause tranquillity in the area.
The owner of the confiscated gadgets commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine, not less than 180,000 Shillings and not more than 18 million shillings, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 18 months, or both.
According to the standards, the maximum permissible noise levels for any building used as a hospital, convalescence home, home for the aged, sanatorium and institutes of higher learning, conference rooms, public library, and environmental or recreational sites do not exceed 45 decibels during the day and 35 decibels during the night.
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