Pollution Control Boards, NOISE Polluters – Hapless Citizen.
Our Pollution Control Boards, both at the State & Central levels, are name-sake Boards, without concomitant enforcement authority. In the grassroots level, it is Political & Money power that rules the roost. Ultimately, the hapless citizens suffer silently, putting up with the noisy neighborhood – without any remedy in his life.
Our PCBs ensure Media space during Diwali, Environment Day and such days round the year, by organizing Rallies & human-chains as a symbolic gesture. This is not conviction that works but convenience. The “concerned” citizens with a VIP or CELEBRITY to “project” the cause in hand, wear badges, caps, wave flags, make a run or rally, take pledges to mark this or that day. But no significant permanent remedial measures are devised or implemented for want of will and conviction towards the cause preached.
Our Politicians in power – thanks to the powerful lobbies – ensure that no permanent solutions are found or implemented. When some swoop down is attempted to contain Pollution, they ensure ‘restoration of peace’! It is a dramatic irony, in our Indian Democracy!? Anybody ‘booked’ for some offence would catch up his mentor - to find himself out of the clutches of Law, sooner or by paying up a ‘token’ fine. It is a simple Tom & Jerry game.
On the NOISE control front, if our PCBs were really powerful, we should not be having RATTLING Autos, two wheelers with bizarre exhausts and automobiles with ‘tuned’ mufflers in our roads, that whiz past us leaving us acoustically numbed until one could gather some sanity in his private seclusion – if he can find one. Add to this, the aero-planes with their high decibel take-offs, near Airport Area. Any peace loving person can’t put up with such rattling “tunes” in our neighborhood in his rightful living, guaranteed by our mighty Constitution.
While we talk of Bharath Stage-II & Bharath Stage-III emission control norms, we do not have any significant control norms on the NOISE front. The ill-tuned rattling noise that our Autos etc., contribute to our environment is simply un-healthy. Still, we naively stay put with them, accepting the noise - taking it as the “music” or cacophony of neighborhood. The damage they cause to our peaceful living is PROFOUND.
Is it not our PCBs duty to come down, with an Iron Hand on the noisy polluters? Should not our PCBs neutralize the noise by taking up the cause at the Industry Level with the Manufacturers - in the Manufacturing Stage itself? Are we wanting in innovations to neutralize NOISE? Those who ‘tune’ their ‘silencers’ could be dealt with, by the provisions of Law, when they VIOLATE - later.
On the sarcastic side, the rattling noise is released into our ears through their ‘silencers’. They are expected to SILENCE the noise, whereas in reality, they aggravate the noise! How come these rattlers are certified in the first place – to add ‘music’ to our living?
Where do we go – to get this redressed? Or is it put-up & perish game of LIFE?
courtesy- THE HINDU
