The noise nuisance is a continuing problem in Guyana and especially in our capital city of Georgetown. There was a time in Georgetown within living memory, and as late as the 1950s and 1960s when the city was extremely quiet. There was little motorised traffic and the population travelled about on foot or on bicycles and there were few city buses. Goods were transported by animal-drawn carts. Many people did not have radios and there were no boom boxes. At public dances and vaudeville shows, live orchestras were employed and they did not use microphones. in construction work, there was no pile-driving or the assembling of iron parts to make the skeletons of buildings since all buildings were of wood and were built by carpenters who worked from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon. The excessive noise and the elimination of the plethora of fruit trees had not as yet driven away the birds and there was a large variety of colourful birds seen everywhere and birdsong could be heard everywhere from dawn to dusk. The sound of the cooling Trade Winds blowing over the city could be heard everywhere as well as the pleasant rustling of the trees. And the striking of the Stabroek Market clock could be heard as far as Albuoystown in the evening.

With the inevitable march of “modernism” with its motor vehicles, boom boxes, loudspeakers and other noise-making instruments and machines as well as the massive emigration of country folk to the City, the City grew noisier in a spiralling crescendo and today we are faced with the almost insuperable problem of controlling excessive noise.
Frequent exposure to excessive noise could negatively impact on human health. It could lead to increased heart rate, high blood pressure, sleep deprivation, headaches and migraines and anxiety and other psychological disorders. Impairment of hearing is one of the main effects of excessive noise.

Excessive noise affects birds and animals. As mentioned above, it drives birds away from their territory and could inability to reproduce. It causes much distress to animals and this is seen at the New Year and Diwali celebrations when powerful squibs and fireworks are discharged and cause many pets to become sick and dogs are known to become demented and die by jumping through windows, running into traffic or running away and being lost forever.

Before 2000, noise control was left solely to the Police who gave permission for noisy celebrations to go on until 22:00hrs or midnight. The old Laws proved inadequate with the growing noise pollution and when the Environment Protection Agency was established, the enforcement of the Noise Management Legislation of 2000 was entrusted to them.

Activities producing noise such as construction, installation operation, modification or extension of any facility must be authorised by the EPA and so also must anyone wishing to operate a loudspeaker or any other sound-making device or equipment at a public space (e.g. barbecues, shows, nightclubs) or private premises must seek the permission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA grants short term and long term noise permits.

The EPA’s activities and responsibilities were reinforced by the Ministry of Public Security forming a special Noise Management Task Force. In addition to having the EPA, the M&TC and the Guyana Police Force serving on the Task Force, there were representatives from a number of other Ministries.

The key objectives of the Task Force were quite useful and laudable: In the first place, they were charged with enforcing existing rules governing codes for all buildings that cater for the use of amplified sound equipment. Then they had to enforce the Silent Zones.

Another charge was eliminating the proliferation of loud music in public transport vehicles. This form of noise nuisance affects thousands of passengers every day and the Guyana Consumers Association and this column have been taking up this issue over the years. There is already a Law on noise in the minibuses which the Police could easily enforce and permanently end this nuisance in a few months.

Other objectives of the Task Force are recommending amendments to the Laws that allow the use of available technology to establish and measure noise levels for compliance and prosecution; curbing random and spontaneous open-air and roadside boom boxes, and examining complaints made about industrial noise and take the necessary action as deemed fit to eliminate or reduce the level of noise discomfort.

In curbing the noise nuisance, there should be continuous public education of the dangers to health and discomforts of excessive noise and secondly, the serious enforcement by the Police of the anti-noise Laws and Regulations.