Doctors have warned that spending too much time around loudspeakers during immersion processions might cause various health problems, such as heart problems, sleep disturbance, and hearing loss.

Mumbai-based Dr YT Oke, one of India’s leading experts, said that noise has a negative physiological and psychological effect on health. The people who are most at risk include police officers and festival goers.

The WHO has warned that noise pollution, together with air pollution, can contribute to a rise in hypertension among vulnerable individuals, which may then result in heart attacks or brain strokes. 

According to Dr. Sanjith Saseedharan, a critical care specialist, noise levels exceeding 80 dB considerably negatively influence health. The risk is increased for young children, expectant mothers, older persons, and people having heart disease, asthma patients, and those recovering from surgery. It increases the likelihood of hearing loss, eardrum injury, and fast pulse rate, which can harm the elderly and cardiac patients and lead to abnormalities in cardiac rhythm. High sound levels can also make it difficult to concentrate, leading to work accidents and reduced productivity.

Doctors recommended that individuals to use smartwatches, noise-canceling earplugs, or earmuffs to prevent damage and asked that the vulnerable stay away from regions where Ganesh immersions take place. 

Neonatologist Dr. Pradeep Suryawanshi said that infants are also at risk. Increased heart rate, decreased oxygen levels, increased calorie demand, disturbed sleep, feeding issues, and hearing loss can all result from sound levels over 60dB.  (Times of India, Sep 9, 2022)