The Environmental Protection Agency has identified the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern regions as the noisiest regions in the country, with Greater Accra topping the list.
Tema, it said, leads the noise nuisance table, followed by Cantonments, East Legon, Kaneshie and Agbogbloshie as the noisiest hotspots in the Accra metropolis, with culprits being churches, drinking bars, entertainment joints, lorry stations, music CDs sellers and herbal drugs peddlers.
The Executive Director of the EPA, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, who made these known in Accra on Thursday at a news conference, said the agency had therefore embarked on a rigorous exercise to ensure the abatement of noise pollution as it was part of its official mandate.
He announced that a task force had been set up to police excessive noise making and bring to book individuals and organisations found to be in violation of the acceptable noise level measured in decibels (dB) regulations set by the Ghana Standards Authority.
The EPA boss gave the breakdown of the required noise levels as 55 dB in health and education institutions, offices and law courts during the day time, while 48 to 50 dB from 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. respectively.
According to Dr Kokofu, in the category of heavy, light industrial and commercial entities, the acceptable ambient noise levels during the day time should be between 65 to 75 dB.
The EPA, therefore, asked the police to assist the EPA’s taskforce in the enforcement of the noise level regulations to ensure that people slept in their homes peacefully without the interference of noise from a church or drinking bar.
Meanwhile, the EPA Executive Director said the law requiring individuals and institutions to apply for permit in respect of the noise and waste pollution was still in force and therefore it was incumbent on them to acquire such permits.
He said noise pollution “does not only affect the people’s health, but also affect them emotionally, especially during the night hours when people have retired to bed only to be disturbed with noise from churches or a nearby entertainment spot”.
BY NORMAN COOPER
