Kabul residents call for action against noise pollution — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Residents of the capital Kabul complain about noise pollution in the city, while experts say prolonged exposure to noise can affect people’s peace of mind, sleep and concentration. Kabul Municipality and Traffic Police officials say thousands of loudspeakers have been confiscated and action is being taken against vehicles with loud horns and noisy silencers. Noise pollution refers to unwanted and disturbing sounds that can affect people’s peace and health. The National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA) says on its [website] that noise pollution has become one of the problems facing major cities with the expansion of industry and technology and population growth. Kabul Municipality has also described noise pollution, alongside air pollution, as one of the challenges of urban life and a threat to citizens’ health, saying the phenomenon can have negative effects on people’s physical and mental health. Kabul residents: Noise has disrupted our peace Zarghona Ghafarzada, a resident of Qala-i-Zaman Khan in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News that because her house is close to a road, the movement of cars, motorbikes and carts equipped with loudspeakers, particularly at night, bothers her. Referring to the loud noise produced by some motorbikes, she said: “There are also different noises in the city and markets that are disturbing, but I do not know what kind of silencers some motorbike riders…