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Noise pollution is a crime
As Uganda observes National Cleaning Day, the fight against pollution should go beyond garbage to tackle the growing problem of noise pollution in residential neighbourhoods, writes Josepha Jabo
Josepha Jabo. (File)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Josepha Jabo
Just as the National Cleaning Day is sensitising Ugandans against carelessly dumping garbage and littering, the population needs raised awareness that noise pollution is a crime.
There is a noise pollution law called the National Environment Noise Standards and Control Regulations, 2023, that regulates noise limits. People need to be made aware that this law exists, because many seem to be oblivious to the fact.
When I was a teenager, I used to live in Kololo (Kampala), on Wampewo Avenue, at a time when it was a quiet, pleasant, purely residential, posh neighbourhood. During the school holidays, my sister and I used to go for long walks to visit our friends, who lived in other parts of Kololo. One of our favourite pastimes was walking around the neighbourhood and sometimes climbing Kololo Hill to view the mansions in Upper Kololo with our friends. Sadly, this peace and quiet is no more, as this avenue has now become a mixed-use area, combining residential and commercial enterprises, because many houses have been bought and converted into noisy bars and bustling restaurants.
When will peace prevail? I can only imagine the inconvenience the Kololo residents are going through. Some residents would like to preserve Kololo as an upscale residential area, because they are now fighting the noise pollution being emitted by some bars, whom they often report to the National Environment Management Authority and Kampala Capital City Authority to intervene.
‘Mixed-use area’ needs a rethink, because peaceful co-existence is next to impossible.
In a mixed-use area, business owners operate as if they are in a commercial area, which is precisely why residential neighbourhoods were zoned separately from commercial areas in the first place.
While they are at their business, you are at your home, so it becomes a conflict of interest. Residential houses and commercial enterprises should not be combined, but zoned separately; especially if the noisy commercial enterprises do not want to invest in soundproofing, because they believe their loud music attracts customers, so it you tell them to soundproof, or contain the noise by reducing the volume to acceptable decibel noise levels, they feel resentful and think you interfering with their business. They argue that they have a license to operate, completely disregarding the fact that they are operating in residential areas. Yet, after a hard day’s work, people need to rest! Perhaps they think that by operating so close to people’s homes, these people will become their customers, but more often than not, they are a public nuisance.
I no longer live in Kololo. Now I live in Najjera, where I have experienced all manner of noise pollution. I can be enjoying a quiet afternoon when all of a sudden, the purveyors of noise pollution disturb my peace of mind. Out of the blue, a mobile vendor (a vehicle with loudspeakers attached) begins moving along the road, loudly selling their wares, playing a recorded message on repeat, and I wonder what happened to trade order? Shouldn’t these mobile vendors be in the market? They meander into our neighbourhoods because they want to bring their goods closer to us, but go to the market, I’ll find you there.
‘Mixed-use area’ needs a rethink, because peaceful co-existence is next to impossible.
In a mixed-use area, business owners operate as if they are in a commercial area, which is precisely why residential neighbourhoods were zoned separately from commercial areas in the first place.
While they are at their business, you are at your home, so it becomes a conflict of interest. Residential houses and commercial enterprises should not be combined, but zoned separately; especially if the noisy commercial enterprises do not want to invest in soundproofing, because they believe their loud music attracts customers, so it you tell them to soundproof, or contain the noise by reducing the volume to acceptable decibel noise levels, they feel resentful and think you interfering with their business. They argue that they have a license to operate, completely disregarding the fact that they are operating in residential areas. Yet, after a hard day’s work, people need to rest! Perhaps they think that by operating so close to people’s homes, these people will become their customers, but more often than not, they are a public nuisance.
I no longer live in Kololo. Now I live in Najjera, where I have experienced all manner of noise pollution. I can be enjoying a quiet afternoon when all of a sudden, the purveyors of noise pollution disturb my peace of mind. Out of the blue, a mobile vendor (a vehicle with loudspeakers attached) begins moving along the road, loudly selling their wares, playing a recorded message on repeat, and I wonder what happened to trade order? Shouldn’t these mobile vendors be in the market? They meander into our neighbourhoods because they want to bring their goods closer to us, but go to the market, I’ll find you there.
The same applies to mobile trucks advertising upcoming events. Event planners, who have informed police that they are going to hold an event or an open-air concert in a residential neighbourhood, seem to think it gives them carte blanche to blare their music as loud as possible, and the neighbours have to bear with them until the event ends.
Then there are open bars (with no doors and no sound-proofing) where music is played all night long at such a high volume that the windows vibrate. Are they even licensed?
In addition, some insensitive shop owners place their loudspeakers at the entrance of their shops, facing the street, and play blaring music day and night, disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. Isn’t this illegal?
All this is compounded by incessant hooting of horns by taxi drivers and bodabodas to attract pedestrians walking along the road and bodaboda stages whose riders have a tendency to engage in loud conversations when they are idle.
Noisy neighbours have an I-don’t-care attitude, which is unchristian to its very core, because the Bible says, ‘Love your neighbour, as you love yourself,’ (Matthew 22:37-39). These unneighbourly neighbours have a misconception that if they are in their house or apartment (whether rented or owned), they have the right to play their music, radio or television as loud as they want, as if they are in a nightclub or discotheque, and do not care if they are disturbing the peace of their next-door neighbours. Even if you request your noisy neighbour to turn down the volume, the minute your back is turned, they will increase the volume again. Many people are going through this and are moving houses to run away from noisy neighbourhoods. To mitigate this, landlords should make new tenants sign a tenancy agreement, where one of the stipulations is that the tenant agrees not to make excessive noise. After all, one can use their earphones or headsets in order not to disturb their neighbours.
Noise pollution is getting out of hand. Noise pollution is stressful, inconveniences people who work from home, can lead to sleep deprivation and is especially difficult for sick, bedridden patients, who have nowhere to go. This problem is not unique to Kololo and Najeera, it is happening nationwide. NEMA and KCCA have hotlines to report noise pollution. NEMA also has environmental inspectors that deal with air quality, noise pollution and noxious smells. However, out of the three, the highest number of complaints arise from noise pollution, which shows that the practice has become so widespread that people need to be sensitised on a massive scale to bring about meaningful, societal change.
The writer works for Uganda Media Centre
Then there are open bars (with no doors and no sound-proofing) where music is played all night long at such a high volume that the windows vibrate. Are they even licensed?
In addition, some insensitive shop owners place their loudspeakers at the entrance of their shops, facing the street, and play blaring music day and night, disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. Isn’t this illegal?
All this is compounded by incessant hooting of horns by taxi drivers and bodabodas to attract pedestrians walking along the road and bodaboda stages whose riders have a tendency to engage in loud conversations when they are idle.
Noisy neighbours have an I-don’t-care attitude, which is unchristian to its very core, because the Bible says, ‘Love your neighbour, as you love yourself,’ (Matthew 22:37-39). These unneighbourly neighbours have a misconception that if they are in their house or apartment (whether rented or owned), they have the right to play their music, radio or television as loud as they want, as if they are in a nightclub or discotheque, and do not care if they are disturbing the peace of their next-door neighbours. Even if you request your noisy neighbour to turn down the volume, the minute your back is turned, they will increase the volume again. Many people are going through this and are moving houses to run away from noisy neighbourhoods. To mitigate this, landlords should make new tenants sign a tenancy agreement, where one of the stipulations is that the tenant agrees not to make excessive noise. After all, one can use their earphones or headsets in order not to disturb their neighbours.
Noise pollution is getting out of hand. Noise pollution is stressful, inconveniences people who work from home, can lead to sleep deprivation and is especially difficult for sick, bedridden patients, who have nowhere to go. This problem is not unique to Kololo and Najeera, it is happening nationwide. NEMA and KCCA have hotlines to report noise pollution. NEMA also has environmental inspectors that deal with air quality, noise pollution and noxious smells. However, out of the three, the highest number of complaints arise from noise pollution, which shows that the practice has become so widespread that people need to be sensitised on a massive scale to bring about meaningful, societal change.
The writer works for Uganda Media Centre