Meet The 58-YO Woman Helping Mumbai Tackle Noise Pollution

India is undoubtedly a very noisy country. We give plenty of reasons to justify the noise levels in the places we live in. No regulation has been able to put a stop to the rising levels of noise in the country, especially in metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi. We usually see restrictions bow down to the obstinacy of traditions and festivals.

While the rest of the country does not actively bother about this issue, a few strong-willed men and women have taken up the mantle of the fight against pollution in the country. One among them is Sumaira Abdulali, a 58-year-old woman from Mumbai.

Sumaira Abdulali comes from a long lineage of fighters. Her ancestors actively took part in the freedom struggle against British rule. Like the adage goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—Sumaira has been championing the fight against noise pollution in Mumbai since 2013.

Awaaz Foundation

Source: Awaaz Foundation

Sumaira Abdulali filed her first Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bombay High Court against slackening of noise rules. In the interest of pursuing the fight, she formed an NGO called Awaaz Foundation in 2006. The foundation has been pivotal in garnering public support and spreading awareness against noise pollution. The foundation filed another PIL urging for noise mapping in Mumbai as well as actions to curb noise from traffic and construction. After a staggering nine years, the petitions were finally heard in 2016.

The back and forth, nonetheless, brought results. Around 27 major cities in Maharashtra were noise-mapped by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), in addition to installing decibel meters in police stations. Noise mitigation measures were taken, and a year-long awareness campaign was launched in partnership with the Government of Maharashtra.

Campaigns and Initiatives

Source: Awaaz Foundation

The initiatives paid off because noise pollution in the city reduced drastically in a short while. Sumaira, with the support of her fellow activists, keeps the struggle up and doesn’t shy away from taking the fight to the root of the issue. The Awaaz Foundation collaborates with local support groups, legal advisors, other NGOs, and volunteers to ensure to bring the noise level in the city down to the safe limits.

They have launched an app called Noise Watch that allows one to record noise levels at different places. These observations can be recorded on a public Facebook page called Citizens’ Noise Map. Apart from this, volunteers from the foundation have been recording noise levels during festivals for several years now.

Commenting on public awareness about the hazards of noise pollution, Sumaira said in a 2013 interview with a leading magazine, “The police can enforce laws; the government has measures to include noise in urban planning. But loudspeakers have improved in quality.” (1)

Source: Awaaz Foundation

The demand for stricter implementation of regulations forced the Mumbai Police to set up an exclusive telephone line to tackle noise complaints from the public. They also set up provisions for periodic monitoring of noise levels from firecrackers, in partnership with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in 2004. The foundation also collaborated with the Mumbai Traffic Police to come up with a “No Horn Day” in April 2008.

Some of the active campaigns of the foundation under the leadership of Sumaira include #GetWellSoonMumbai #TellTheDriver #HornFlu #TimeForAction #GodsAgainstNoise Noise Annoys, #AwaazBandh #HornVrat in collaboration with various organizations like the Autorickshaw Union, AURED, Sanskar India Foundation, and others.

Her life dedicated to activism has brought her recognition from renowned organizations. She is the recipient of numerous awards, such as the Mother Theresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2010, Olive Crown Green Crusader Award 2015. She is also a lifetime Ashoka Foundation Fellow for social entrepreneurship.

Source: Awaaz Foundation

Keeping up with its founder’s enthusiasm to save the environment, the Awaaz Foundation has now branched out into various issues in environmental activism. The other issues that the foundation is helping to tackle include sand mining, oil spills, solid waste management, and wildlife preservation. It also has launched a special campaign, Mitra, a movement against intimidation, threat, and violence against activists.

India is a land of festivals. These festivals, without a doubt, make the country vibrant and unique. However, if preserving traditions come at the cost of our welfare and that of the environment, we ought to make a call. People like Sumaira choose to make that call for us every day. What she got in return was, however, threats and abuse rooting from dogma and ignorance.

A woman with her grit and courage does not back down in the face of failure or threats. It was meant to be a long fight, and she continues to be at the forefront of it. Keeping a balance of tradition, well-being and progress is a lesson we are yet to learn. Meanwhile, we can be glad that people like Sumaira is working toward this goal for the welfare of all of us. Contribute to their cause by refraining from honking when you drive your vehicle going forward.

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