John Pwamang addressing participants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated its intention to constitute a regional taskforce starting with the Greater Accra Region to help address the challenges of noise nuisance.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Ambient Noise Level Guidelines’ held for more than 60 stakeholders at the Mensvic Hotel in East Legon, Accra lately, John Pwamang, Deputy Executive Director (Operations) of the EPA mentioned that his outfit in 2016 received 329 complaints on noise nuisance at various places within the Accra metropolis.
The stakeholders at the workshop comprised of representatives of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, the Christian Council of Ghana, Ahamadyia Muslim Mission, Council of Independent Churches and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The Deputy Executive Director continued that the workshop seeks among other things to equip the participants on guidelines for acceptable noise levels and strategies to ensure effective compliance to noise reduction.
He mentioned that noise is measured in decibels and beyond a certain level has adverse health implications and is rated as a criminal offence punishable by law.
“Excessive noise, as we all know, has serious adverse effects on our health such as hearing defects and blood pressure,” he stated.
Mr Pwamang explained that the control of appropriate noise levels at various places of our national life has become a major environmental concern which is being addressed through a collaborative effort with the MMDAs, Government Agencies and Civil Society groups.
“The EPA Act 1994 (Act 490) mandates the agency to prescribe standards and guidelines relating to the pollution of air, water, land and noise and in pursuance of this mandate, the agency has developed permissible noise level guidelines to regulate the level of noise within the environment,” he stated.
He remarked that MMDAs by the nature of their mandate have a critical role to play in addressing the problems of noise through its Environmental Health Units.
“The sustainable management of the environment depends on how we as individuals and organizations are concerned about the environment and what we do to manage and protect it; our choices and our actions determine the quality of the environment” he stated.
By Solomon Ofori