Govt shuts factory for sound pollution

Dhaka, Aug 3 (bdnews24.com) ¨C In a historical move, the environment department has penalised a factory and sealed it for sound pollution in a residential area.

During a raid in Shyamoli area led by director (monitoring and enforcement) Mohammad Munir Chowdhury the team found an industrial parts-making factory named Jute Spares Complex emitting loud sounds.

The factory owner was fined Tk 40,000 on the spot and the factory was closed by confiscating all the machinery and equipment.

The factory had been operating for 12 years without any environmental license since 1998.

In an immediate test by the team, the factory was found to be emitting sound 87 decibels of sound, which is 37 decibels higher than the acceptable limit. During the day, the highest limit is 50 decibels.

Not to mention that live in the surrounding area has been severely disrupted by the sound, the officials found that even the first floor above the factory is a residence.

Moreover, the machine parts manufacturer had no fire-fighting equipment. Thus the situation was highly risky.

Following the fines and shut-down of his factory, the owner has submitted a written statement to transfer the factory elsewhere.

The team also examined sound pollution in Prism Fashion, Pacific Fashion Limited and Maya Enterprise, three other embroidery factories in the area.

The average sound level of those was found at 70 decibels, 20 decibels higher than acceptable limit.