KARACHI, Aug 19: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency is launching a study on Thursday to measure noise levels at various city spots, it has been learnt.

According to sources, the study, second in more than a decade and a half, will be carried out at different places at different times so that the level of noise pollution could be recorded.

The sources said longer exposure to a high level of noise affected human health, causing a loss of hearing, stress, etc, which in turn lowered the level of tolerance in people owing to which they tended to lose temper at the slightest of provocation.

The earlier such study by Sepa was conducted in the mid-1990s. Tibet Centre on M. A. Jinnah Road – one of the major traffic arteries of the city connecting suburban areas with the city centre – was identified as the noisiest place in the city.

The most common culprit of noise pollution was said to be auto-rickshaws that generated a noise level of more than 100 dbs, as against the permissible level prescribed by Sepa of 85 dbs.

The sources said rickshaws were not at fault as when they came out of the assembling plant their noise level was not that high. But rickshaw operators removed the muffling device fitted to the silencer in an attempt to increase the efficiency and mileage of the vehicle. This not only created a high level of noise but also exposed the passengers as well as the driver to various health problems.

Responding to Dawn queries, Sepa director-general Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh said four teams had been formed to carry out the week-long study to monitor noise levels.

He said various places had been selected where team members, equipped with noise meters, would record the level of noise at different times to get peak levels – during rush hours – and lower levels when traffic was less, so that the average noise level of that particular site could be determined.

The sites identified for recording the noise levels are Merewether Tower, Tibet Centre, Empress Market, Purani Numaish, Tin Hatti, Liaquatabad, Water Pump, Sohrab Goth, Nagin Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, A 1 Clinic, Golimar bridge, Gora Qabristan, Star Gate, Quaidabad, Landhi, etc. He said readings would be taken at four different times to get peak levels and lower levels.

Dr Shaikh said the higher level of noise affected human health in many ways, and a longer exposure caused a hearing loss, stress, anxiety, depression etc and a person’s tolerance level dropped.

He said the last study had been carried out in 1994 and the whistling trains – generating 113 dbs -- were identified as the highest noise polluter, followed by the auto-rickshaws, motorcycles, industries, loudspeakers, construction work, some fancy vehicular horns, etc.

He said that over the last 14 years, since the previous study was conducted, the city had expanded tremendously, so had its vehicular population. He expected that the situation would be even worse than what was shown in the previous study. He said that once the data was collected, the strategy to control and lower noise pollution would be devised so that the citizens of the metropolis could be protected against hazards of noise pollution, which they did not create but were forced to suffer in silence putting an additional burden on the fragile and already overburdened health system.

He said Sepa had also received many complaints of a higher level of noise – generated by vehicles, industries set up in residential areas, etc – from residents of various localities.