Mazatlan, Sinaloa.- In the middle of the International Motorcycle Week parade, a group of residents from the Los Pinos and Centro neighborhoods peacefully demonstrated against excessive noise and the construction of condominium towers that violate the law.
With banners and signs in hand, they stood on the median in front of Playa Pinitos, waiting for the mayor, Luis Guillermo Benítez Torres, who was leading the parade, to pass by.
Óscar Fosados, a resident of downtown Mazatlan, said he supported this cause because although where he lives he does not suffer from excessive noise derived from real estate development and tourist activities, he does suffer from it every time there is an event or show in the sports venue near his home.
“I support the activists and citizens who are against noise pollution in Mazatlan because right now, this is a real problem” he said.
He added that every time there is an event on the sports facility near his home, he and his family simply cannot sleep, in addition to the fact that the Mazatlán Orphanage is also affected by the excessively loud noise.
He mentioned that all these problems were made known to Mayor Benítez Torres when he held the position as municipal president for the first time, through the direction of Ecology, in 2018.
“We are basing our protest on the laws and regulations, there is a decibel regulation in Mazatlan that is not being respected and the authorities know it,” he added.
He considered that possibly the authorities feel pressured by businessmen or public transport concessionaires and do not know which side to take, or maybe they are being bribed to look the other way.
He was very precise when mentioning that they are not against development in Mazatlan, they just want the rules to be respected.
It should be remembered that last year the neighbors collected signatures to file a collective lawsuit against the Mazatlán City Council for not enforcing the regulations against noise pollution, and this goes to any that activity that generates excessive noise.
“I told Benítez Torres, I invite you to my house, so you can confirm that this is true, I have the right to harmony, peace, and tranquility inside my home, and right now the municipal authorities are not respecting my rights”.
The World Health Organization defines noise pollution as any sound above 65 decibels (dB), which becomes harmful if it exceeds 75 and painful above 120.
It recommends not exceeding 65 decibels during the day and to have a restful sleep, the noise of the night environment should not exceed 30 dB.
The Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources points out that sound becomes an invisible contaminant when it produces harmful physiological and psychological effects. Noise pollution is the result of excessive and annoying sounds caused by different human activities such as traffic, aircraft, construction works, nightlife, loud music, animals (such as barking dogs), among others.
This type of contamination produces, psychopathological, psychological, sleep, and behavioral problems stand out, it produces loss of attention, hearing, memory, and heart rhythm alteration, even conditions in pregnancy, in addition, not least of damage to ecosystems by scaring away animal species.
The NOM 081 of the Semarnat specifies that for exteriors of residential areas from 6:00 in the morning to 10:00 at night, the maximum allowed is 55 dB, and 50 dB from 10:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning.
At the same time, in industrial areas, it is 68 and 65 decibels, respectively, and at ceremonies, festivals, and entertainment events, during a four-hour limit, the maximum is 100 dB.
Source: OEM
