Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has cautioned the public to ensure that their activities were devoid of excessive noise during the Christmas and New Year festivities. 'Whilst the EPA appreciates the importance of Christmas, we wish to draw your attention to the fact that during this period, there is the tendency to cause noise nuisance to other members of the community and the environment, infringing on their rights,' he said. The EPA had, however, developed the Ghana Standard for Health Protection-Requirement for Ambient Noise Control (GS 1222:2018), to regulate noise levels from various zones and so all noise gathering activities must comply with the requirements of the standard for the designated zones. 'These zones include residential, commercial, mixed zones and industrial areas as well as areas with educational and health facilities,' Dr Kokofu said. Recalcitrant persons would be punished, he noted and added that officers had been direct ed to ensure compliance and assist event organisers in tuning their musical instruments to acceptable decibels. Dr Kokofu, speaking at a press briefing by the EPA in Accra on Friday, said noise pollution had become a major environmental issue recently, adding to the public health burden. The World Health Organisation says exposure to excessive noise could cause stress, poor concentration and productivity losses in the workplace, communication difficulties, fatigue from lack of sleep, cardiovascular diseases, and hearing loss, among other things. He urged the public to ensure that all noise-gathering activities complied with the EPA requirements and of the standards. 'Motor vehicles, commercial activities, industrial activities, entertainment activities, social gatherings, religious activities, stationary and mobile services that use loudspeakers such as community information centres, etc should all take note.' He urged all and sundry to be mindful of the effect of their actions on the environment and pub lic health and collaborate with the EPA to ensure that their activities were devoid of excessive noise. Madam Esi Nerquaye-Tetteh, the Deputy Executive Director of Technical Services, EPA, said last year the Agency embarked on an extensive monitoring programme to ensure that noise levels were reduced in the various communities. She said a circular from the Ghana Meteorological Agency and their monitoring stations indicated that Ghana was experiencing the harmattan, with higher dust levels, calling on the aged, pregnant women and asthmatic patients, to be on the watch. She advised Ghanaians to put a stop to open burning, while drivers should slow down on unpaved roads and use noise masks during this season and beyond. Source: Ghana News Agency