Villagers of Lumsohpieng and Umdaitkhla of Bhoirymbong area have urged for reduction of the decibel level during the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival scheduled to be held on November 17-19 at Madankurkalang, Bhoirymbong.
In a letter to Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Arpit Upadhyaya today, the villagers urged the authorities to ensure that the noise caused during the three-day festival does not exceed beyond the permitted time, and that sensitive areas such as schools, colleges, hospitals and households were not affected by the noise caused by the festival.
The villagers also urged the DC to ensure that students who have their annual examination during this time of the year were not disturbed by the noise from the festival.
“Such chaos and noise should not create any anxiety and stress for our young ones as they prepare for their examinations,” the letter said, adding that protocols to curb noise pollution should be maintained in the strictest form.
The villagers also requested the DC to coordinate the timings of the festival so that music concerts and other potentially noisy events do not overlap with important examinations or study periods.
They also suggested use of soundproofing measures at the concert venues to minimise noise leakage to the surrounding areas.
Further, the villagers said that concerts held outdoors should use sound barriers and speakers should be directed away from areas where examinations are taking place.
They also called for communication between event organisers, school administrators, and local communities to raise awareness about examination schedules and potential disturbances.
