Noise pollution: Religious leaders deny knowledge of approved decibel
Four years after the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency started issuing threats to religious organisations to put in place soundproof materials or face sanction, noise pollution is still a problem in the state, Metro has learnt.
Working under the state's Noise Pollution Policy, LASEPA had said there was the need to ensure that places of worship do not constitute a public nuisance.
General Manager of LASEPA, Mr. Adebola Shabi, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that the policy stipulated that the noise level of religious houses should not exceed 65 decibels during the day and 45 at night.
Even though the policy focuses on religious houses, there are many other contributors to noise pollution in the state.
The noisiest part of the metropolis are motor parks where hawkers, bus conductors, and Compact Disc sellers create a lot of noises, in a bid to attract passengers and customers.
Ketu, Obalende, Oshodi, Iyana-Ipaja, Berger, Ojota, Ikeja areas of the state are some of the places where noise disturbs passers-by.
Generators, which are common to every household in Lagos, are also major noise pollutants in the state.
Findings by Metro reveal that many religious houses are not aware of the noise level stipulated by law and some of those who are aware said there was no way they could determine whether they operated within the approved decibel.
"I heard about the noise level issue in 2010, but the problem is how to determine whether we have actually violated that level or not at a particular time. If residents of areas around churches complain, then churches will know the noise they are making is too much. In our case here, we have not got any complaint. So, we can assume, we are not constituting a nuisance," the pastor of a church, Mr. Joseph Ariyo, said.
An Imam at a mosque in Iyana Ipaja, Mr. Quadri Olagunju, said he was not aware there was a noise level stipulated for religious houses.
"I am aware the government gave an order that religious houses should remove public address systems outside their worship houses. But I am not aware there was anything like a decibel they must not go beyond. In our own case, even though we have a loudspeaker outside the mosque, we don't make much noise," he said.
In Ogba area of Ikeja, our correspondent noticed a church where programmes are consistently announced through loudspeakers.
The pastor of the church, who pleaded anonymity, said it was intended to "bless" other people who would not have the time to attend the church programme. He also said he was not aware there was a noise level they must not go beyond.
He said, "I think people who are engaged with one thing or another can be blessed through our teachings inside their houses.
"Nobody has actually complained that we are noisy or disturbing the peace of this area. I'm sure the residents have no problem with us."
Asked if he was aware the state government was against placing loudspeakers outside of religious houses, the priest said he was, but that the noise emanating from the church was minimal compared with motor parks.
Our correspondent spoke to a resident of a building beside the church, Mrs. Ogechi Amadi, who said people were wary of complaining against a religious house.
"Nobody wants to incur the wrath of a church. You know how these churches can be. They could start praying against you if you complain about them. I personally don't have a problem with the noise because I am accustomed to it," she said.
Few metres from the church, a mosque also announced its programmes through a loudspeaker placed outside. The Imam of the mosque, who identified himself as Alhaji AbdulKareem, said the loudspeakers emit very low noise and that they only use the speakers on Friday and Sunday.
The Imam said he did not know the government had prescribed noise level, which religious houses must not go beyond.
Metro recently published a story of a septuagenarian who was lamenting the health hazard she faced as a result of noise emanating from a church close to her house.
Many residents of the state have the same problem to contend with because of the proximity of their houses to motor parks and religious houses.
At Ketu Bus Stop, our correspondent counted a number of shops, where loudspeakers are placed outside and loud music blared.
The residents around the bus stop said they were accustomed to the noise.
"This place has always been like this. The only time we get a moment of respite from the noise is when we are asleep. The nuisance starts again with the shouts of bus conductors at dawn," Mr. Chibu Akuegbu said.
At Oshodi Bus Stop, our correspondent saw a man with a cart laden with CDs and a record player. The player was loudly playing different songs as he pushed his way through the street. This is a common sight in Lagos.
The CD seller told our correspondent that that was his own way of attracting customers.
"Passers-by also enjoy the music I play. The advantage is that anybody who ordinarily will not want to buy a CD might be attracted by the music and stop to buy. You are very funny. You think this is pollution? Not having money to feed my children when I don't sell, that is pollution. I need to attract customers," he said.
At Ojodu area of Lagos, it has also become common to see men pushing specially made carts with religious inscriptions, playing music and using a megaphone to preach.
A recent visitor to Lagos, who pleaded anonymity, gave her opinion of the problem of noise in Lagos.
She said, "My recent trip to Lagos confirmed a lot of what I have heard concerning the new face of Lagos as a mega city.
"However, the stark reality is that Lagos is extremely noisy. Everywhere you go it is noise. At some point I felt I was going insane. Unfortunately, I have yet to see what the state government is doing concerning this form of pollution capable of diminishing the quality of lives of citizens.
"Generators, welding machines, English Premiership league football fans cheering their clubs, vehicles and inconsiderate motorists, cart pushers and stall owners who deal in CDs, DVDs constitute a public nuisance in Lagos."
However, Shabi said, "We've asked religious houses to soundproof their buildings so that even if their services will produce much noise, it will not constitute a nuisance to residents.
"We have been extremely careful because some people said the state government is against religion. What we have been doing usually is to invite religious organisations against which residents have lodged complaints and tell them to ensure they do not constitute a nuisance to their neighbours.
"We have sealed some religious houses for noise pollution offences especially when we have given them warnings and the problem still persists. For instance, we got a complaint somewhere recently and we are going to do something about it on Monday."
When asked why CD sellers and other people who contribute to noise pollution in the state were not being checked, Shabi said, "When it is a market area, we usually overlook those places because we know the noise is a result of selling of goods. Our focus is on noise pollution in residential areas."
A medical doctor, Moses Ajebiyi, warned that continuous exposure to noise could impair hearing.
Adebiyi said, "The effect of noise is not just about the irritation it constitutes to one's ears. It could elevate one's stress level to the extent that one could develop hypertension, chronic stress or sleep disorder. In the case of someone who already has hypertension, consistent exposure to noise can seriously aggravate the problem.
"It could affect one's productivity and depending on how much noise one is exposed to, it could lift one's hearing threshold to such an extent that one could become partially deaf. It could also lead to sleep deprivation."
via Punch
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