PRESSURE HORNS: With the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, horns have become a nuisance for the people. They are designed to indicate a warning, but are used to exert frustration onto others. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines noise above 65 decibels (dB) as noise pollution, whereas a car horn operates at 100-110dB. Noise above 70dB over a period of time may affect hearing, and loud noise above 120dB can cause immediate harm. There has to be stringent set of rules in this regard that should be strictly implemented by traffic police.

Iqra Azhar
Gujranwala

READING CULTURE: Amid gadgets of all kinds, book-reading habit has disappeared from society. We can develop this habit in our children by visiting public libraries with them, and setting up a reading corner at home where different books should be available. Parents need to control the screen time of their children, and read bedtime stories to their kids. These baby steps may help create a reading environment in society.

Nazia Noor Hussain
Lahore

MORAL VALUES: Moral and ethical values have always been held in high regard in our society, but, unfortunately, things seem to be changing even in this regard. One can observe these values being trampled during visits to the Bagh-i-Jinnah in Lahore. Despite being a ‘family park’, the place has become more of a ‘dating site’. The authorities need to be vigilant about the matter.

Wali Ejaz Nekokara
Lahore

EXCHANGE RATE: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in my view, can stabilise the exchange rate by chalking out a policy which should ensure that exporters get a properly worked out exchange rate for bringing back their export proceeds instead of having them parked abroad. This will surely encourage the exporters and will help improve the foreign exchange reserves of the central bank.

Azhar Nadeem
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2022