Have you ever heard the sound of the desert wind, travelling across the dunes? Or the sound of water, falling off a mountain? If you haven’t then you are missing some of nature’s best soundtracks.
These and the sound of rain, thunder and the bird chirping are all part of the colourful spectrum of life. They bring uninhibited joy to people like me whose ears are burdened by the unending mechanical sounds of the city. In fact, it sounds more like noise pollution.
Over the years, with the invasion of machines into our daily lives, we have been led away from nature’s voices. The calm and serenity has been replaced by frustration, anger and intolerance. But we ourselves are at fault, being responsible in one way or another for this commotion. For example, the luxuries of life that we so carelessly take for granted are the ones that contribute most to this noise pollution. Often our morning starts with an alarm bell. Then there is the school-van driver who honks uncontrollably and children rush to it, without finishing their breakfast.
Many household chores depend on machines like the noise creating washing machine, vacuum cleaner, grinder and others. And then there’s that time when someone rings the doorbell, again and again and again. Fruit and vegetable vendors too contribute their fair share by blaring out loud on their megaphones. Of course we can’t forget the phone, especially when we are in the snooze mode or in a deep slumber. Then suddenly it rings; pulling you out of dreamland, you stumble towards the incessant ringing, cranky and extremely irritated.
Sometimes, even we become selfish and knowingly contribute to this pollution. We switch on our TV or the stereo system, watch the soap on loud volume or play the music on full without giving two hoots for our neighbours. Maybe they aren’t feeling well and would want some peace. The same holds true when we organize late night functions and broadcast the proceedings on megaphones. The only difference then between the vegetable vendor and us is that he does it in the morning and we make ill-use of the megaphone at night!
Traffic noise has become a part of our life. That is the main cause of frustration and mental illness. Even near the hospitals and schools, people deliberately ride bikes without silencer and use pressure horns. And how can one ignore the rickshaw? The three-wheeler is the most painful to our eardrums, especially for poor patients.
Some working places are maligned because of noise pollution, like the fish market. So much so, that the place that has a lot of noise in its vicinity, is often referred to as a fish market. But then, it is also called a stock exchange. Our feisty brokers and traders, often make sure that they shout louder than the person next to him.
Factory generated noise pollution, courtesy of the heavy machines is really bothersome to people who live in the adjoining vicinities. But where is the government in all of this?
Our lawmakers, and law enforcers, should make sure that this noise pollution is first controlled and them eliminated altogether. Factories with a lot of noise should be made to adhere to international noise control standards. Cars with broken silencers and people with over loud stereos should be forced to care for those around them.
In apartment blocks, this consideration is a must. Recently, one of our neighbours was seriously ill. At the same time, some construction work was in progress in the floor above. The old man’s family requested the apartment owners above, to please delay the work for sometime. But the owner refused and the workers continued with the banging and the chiselling. The whole scenario ended in a big quarrel and a lot of anger on both sides of the camp.
According to psychologists, noises affect our health. It causes hypertension, lunacy, headache and narcolepsy. Doctors also advise some patients to spend some moments in peaceful environment and try to live for from racket. Even poets and writers chose areas, live away from the daily racket, to concentrate on their creativity, because mental work needs first mental calm. That is why we find different examples in poetry like jingle of anklet, jingle of bangles instead of a whirring voice or a ripping noise.
Having said all of this, we know for a fact that we cannot get rid of this kind of hustle and bustle completely. Of course, the sirens of the ambulance, the fire brigade and the police vans need to be there. But being of civilized society, we need to refrain from unnecessary voices. Then only will we be able to hear the natural voices that we haven’t heard for so long.
Have you ever heard the sound of the desert wind, travelling across the dunes? Or the sound of water, falling off a mountain? If you haven’t then you are missing some of nature’s best soundtracks.
