Capital

What’s your opinion of sound pollution?

“I live around piazza where every kind of noise is heard. I guess I am accustomed to it. I can hear women yelling, drunken men shouting and music from a bar near my house. What can one do about it?”
Esubalew, Piazza

“Wow! What is the silence? Even libraries do not enjoy the right of silence. Whether you call it internal or external, noise will still exist. In Addis, noise is natural.”
Meron, Gerji

“I am a high school teacher. There is a church nearby and whenever the church is giving a service, there is a huge disturbance.”

Mehari, teacher
“Nowdays I am used to the music coming from next door. Some times, I even sing along. The only way to survive is to accept the fact.”
Ruth, housewife
“I really enjoy all the commotion. In fact, it keeps up my inspiration. I am amazed how all– the different sounds make for a unique and natural whole.”
Tamirat, student
“What sound pollution? What about the right to make noise? Though noise is relative, I am still in favor of more. It is a sign of a vibrant city.”
Atran, shopkeeper

“It is one measurement of quality and a dignified life. Wherever I go, I want my peace and quiet. Especially at the weekends, I want to get enough sleep”
Ester, boutique owner

“The best thing to miss about Ethiopia would be the variety of sounds we hear from different directions. What impresses me most is whatever noise is in the air, communication never fails. The audio/video shops play their own different songs; you hear the taxi ‘Weyala’ yelling, a madman shouting, dogs barking, people talking, a church or a mosque and so on at the same time and place. Where can you find this beautiful sound? Nowhere, but in your celebrated neighborhood.”
Worku, teacher

Noise-the unspoken weapon

Mobile phone calls contribute to sound pollution. Two or three weeks a go I was desperate to go home after a long day. I could think of nothing except whishing for a dazzling dream. What happened was totally unfit for one who is looking for a quality snooze – I heard a shout coming from out side… not now, Uhhh…! Unfortunately, it was the neighbors worst fight yet.
The cause for the disturbance was a mobile phone call to the wife. It was a long day for the husband too, who really wanted a quite night . Noise is relative. What is music to one is a blast to another; however, there is a certain agreement that noise is annoying.
What is most surprising is the noises that come out from the ‘tiny’ video/audio shops. It feels as if they are competing to waft out the mind of the community than attracting one. On the way home, there are these contesting video/audio shops playing different music simultaneously. The weird thing is that some people enjoy them but some complain, and do not know what to do about it. There are other kinds of sound pollution. If your house is near a church or mosque, you know what I mean. They have giant speakers pointing in the four directions. As I said before, it is relative- what is music to one is noise to the other. I clearly remember whene in college, there was this café playing its music louder that we can hear every lyric in class. The shocking thing is none of these institutions or shops care if there is a school or hospital nearby.
Imagine ; you are lying down, your stereo is playing smooth Beethoven or something. In a fraction of a second the next-door person turns on loud traditional music. What would be your reaction?
Sound pollution is not only a social matter as it also causes health problems. Exposure to chronic noise leads to hearing loss. Up until the 70s, noise was considered as nuisance rather than an environmental problem in the developed countries. Canada, the EU and the USA have provincial or state laws that protect against noise. Most cities prohibit sound above threshold concentration from trespassing over property lines at night. Could these laws be workable here? Come on! We got served with variety of noise in the plate.