When Lord Byron visited Malta in 1809, he labelled it “an island of bells, yells and smells”. Noise pollution, defined as unwanted or disturbing sound, is still an endemic problem that is now becoming a public health crisis.
Recent features in the local media show the extent to which ordinary people are exposed to health hazards, with little effective action taken by the health authorities to protect people’s well-being.
Jesuit priest Patrick Magro, is the chaplain of the university chapel in Tal-Qroqq. He posted a video on social media complaining about the din from a building site next to the chapel, arguing that the noise is so loud it harms the health of students and the rest of the community.
Malta has now become one big building site. Complaints about noise pollution come from many other towns and villages on the island as result of multiple property development projects and the expansion of the catering and entertainment industries.
Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg and MEP Peter Agius have now petitioned the European Union to pressure Malta to enforce laws on noise pollution. Unfortunately, with the lethargic EU pace, the petition is unlikely to bring about the necessary change anytime soon.
Our public health authorities must perform their duty to the community by defining national noise-footprint targets that the government and its agencies must implement.
Noise pollution receives far less attention than air and water pollution because it cannot be seen, tasted or smelled. But it is still lethal to people’s health and can be easily measured.
It is dangerous as it has negative long-term impacts on humans and also on animals. In 1910, Nobel Prize winner Robert Koch predicted: “One day man will have to fight noise fiercely as cholera and pest.” We may already be underestimating the seriousness of this public health crisis. Scientific research in recent years has yielded a wealth of evidence linking environmental noise exposure primarily to cardiovascular illnesses, susceptibility to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicide and behavioural problems in children and adolescents.
It has been shown, for instance, that measures leading to decreased noise pollution in schools resulted in lower levels of annoyance and improved children’s cognitive abilities.
Our political leaders must put the health of citizens first.
The country cannot afford powerful business lobbies that want a regulation-lite environment to maximise their profits, even if this is done at the cost of subjecting the community to unnecessary health risks.
The country simply cannot continue ignoring the deafening festa petards that hammer us throughout the summer. Current legislation to curb noise pollution is inadequate at best and enforcement remains weak.
It is not right to expect residents to install double-glazing windows everywhere to somewhat cushion them from the racket outdoors.
Sacrificing people’s well-being on the pretext that the construction, tourism, catering and entertainment industries need to grow is fallacious.
Environmental pollution has reached crisis levels with the increasing traffic, multiple construction projects and the takeover of public spaces by business enterprises denying people the right to enjoy open spaces fully. It is time to act to address these challenges.
The government and the opposition must find the political will to tackle the noise pollution crisis and protect people’s well-being.
They must pass legislation setting noise-footprint targets that must be enforced with determination. They can be rest assured that they will get the support of the majority of people.
Fr Magro’s video clip symbolised a country that has had enough.