Gas Horns deafen many commuters
Apathy of Transport Department renders Government orders meaningless
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 16 2014 : Defying the directive of the Supreme Court of India and the orders of state government, vehicles plying in the state are still using the gas horn in city areas.

A bench of the apex court comprising chief justice RH Lalhouti and Justice Ashok Bhan, had issued directives prohibiting the use of loud speakers and gas horn in public places in its ruling on July 19 last.

Moreover, the Transport Department of Manipur government in an order issued last year also banned the use of gas horn at public places.

However, due to apathy and indifference of the concerned department, such prohibition is not enforced in the state.

Almost all buses and trucks plying in the state are still using the gas horn, which causes ear damage to the public.

Gas Horns deafen many commuters

According to a prominent ENT specialist working in Manipur, human beings can hear sound level upto zero decibel and more sensitive people are able to grasp sounds measuring minus 15 decibel.

Sounds measuring above 85 decibel can cause deafness for life, said the doctor while elaborating that it depends on how long the person receives the undesirable sound.

Saying that the ideal sound for talking between persons is at 60 decibel, the specialist stated that a bull dozer produces sound at the level of 85 decibel while working.

If someone hears the sound of a working bull dozer continuously for 8 hours, he will develop ear damage.

Sudden reception of sound at the range of 150 decibel will lead to breakage of ear drum, informed the doctor while cautioning that sound ranging from 155 to 200 decibel can kill a person.

The gas or electric horns installed in various trucks and buses emanate sounds at the level of over 120 decibel.

Continued hearing of the sound of such horns for one hour will definitely lead to deafness of the person.

Twenty percent of the ear patients visiting Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences revealed that they developed ear ailment due to hearing of such sounds.

Hence, if the Transport department of Manipur government does not enforce the already issued prohibition of gas horns, then the number of persons with deafness will increase day by day, the ENT specialist warned.

One of the ageing commuters who experienced the notorious sound of gas horn on the street told this Daily that he was about to develop hypertension on hearing the awkward sound from the vehicle.

Besides numerous trucks crossing the Imphal city area daily, over a 100 buses ply in Manipur and they produce undesirable sounds even without any break of five minutes.

Students who often encounter such sounds on their way to schools are the most affected victims of heavy sounds.

In addition to the prohibition of heavy sounds under article 141 and 142 of Indian constitution, the Supreme Court has also banned use of loudspeakers in residential area from 10 pm to 6 am of the next day.

Meanwhile, District Transport Officer of Imphal west Mani claimed this Daily that detention of vehicles using gas horns is going on uninterrupted.

The defying vehicles are charged Rs.100 as fine, as prevalent all over the country.

However, as the penalty amount is meager, the vehicle drivers still use gas horns unhesitatingly.

The only option available now is to smash the horns from those vehicles; he said and added that the matter will be discussed with higher authority.