Following continuous complaints about noise nuisance in the society, the National Assembly’s Sectoral Committee on Social Services last Friday began hearing submissions on its prevention and the interpretation of the law.
The meeting, which was held at the Public Buildings, presented an opportunity for key players in combatting noise nuisance to deliberate on the interpretation of the Music and Dancing Licencing Act and its link to noise nuisance in Guyana.
Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle outlined the procedure necessary for obtaining a certificate to conduct an entertainment establishment.
The procedure included close collaboration with the City Engineer’s Department on ensuring safety mechanisms, such as fire escapes and a strict adherence to the number of persons allowed to enter at any specific time. Gentle added that before the certificate could be granted, premises which have undergone an inspection must await approval from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
Concerns were raised about the issuing of these certificates, including the considerations taken into account before their issuance. Pointing out the large number of drinking spots in some areas in close proximity to each other, APNU Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence raised questions about what reasoning governed the distributing of certificates to an area with competing sources of noise pollution. Other concerns, such as the enforcement of certificate guidelines and zoning, were also raised.
City Engineer Colvern Venture, to whom many of these questions were directed, explained that the responsibility of issuing certificates lay with the CH&PA and that he would not be able to answer questions satisfactorily.
Indra Chandarpal, chairperson of the committee, emphasised that noise pollution was a problem that needed addressing immediately, especially when it affected so many persons. “I’m not thinking about the law. I’m thinking about the rights; the sick, the elderly, the children studying: I’m thinking about their rights,” Chandarpal said.
“We as policy makers, must we not try to look into the discomfort of those people who have to bear the consequences of the situations that are operating in their respective communities?” she asked.
Though the requirements necessary for a certificate to be granted were discussed at length, very little was said about the policies in place to reduce and combat noise pollution in Guyana.
The best determinant of the appropriate level of music playing is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, a representative from the organization was not present.
Chandarpal said that the meeting is the first of many and the CH&PA and EPA are expected to appear at future discourses.
