Noise pollution is a serious issue that affects the health of people, animals, and plants in Ghana, according to Mr. Hope Smith Lomotey, the Volta Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
He states that loud and continuous noise can cause hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, miscarriage, and stress. Noise pollution can also have an impact on wildlife, interfering with their breeding cycles and potentially causing the extinction of some species.
Mr. Lomotey revealed that the permissible ambient noise set by the EPA and the Ghana Standards Authority for residential areas is 55 decibels during the day and 48 decibels at night.
He urged the public, particularly estate developers, to obtain environmental permits from the EPA before starting any building projects. Mr. Lomotey added that church buildings must be well-planned and include noise protection to avoid noise nuisance and pollution.
Noise level hotspots in the Ho Municipality include Rabazey Pub, Mirage, Ray Makossa, Depot View, White House, Pizozy, Cruxio, The Geist, and Nogora Pub, according to Mr Lomotey. He classified noise into temporal and permanent, with the temporal noise including funerals, festivals, and crusades, while the permanent is excessive noise from nightclubs and pubs, restaurants, mosques, and churches.
Mr Lomotey stressed that noise pollution is a public health issue that can impact millions of people daily, causing hearing loss and other health issues. He also noted that noise pollution is connected to climate change, with transportation and fossil fuel extraction and processing being the primary contributors to noise pollution. Urban sprawl and deforestation also destroy natural sound buffers and carbon absorption reservoirs.
In conclusion, Mr Lomotey encourages the public to be aware of the harmful effects of noise pollution and to take steps to minimize their contribution to it. He also emphasized the importance of obtaining environmental permits before starting any building projects and ensuring that church buildings are well-planned to include noise protection.