Noise pollution: Lagos gives worship centres condition to reopen

The Lagos state government has given conditions to religious houses and leisure centres sealed over the violation of the state’s law on noise pollution. 

A statement by Adekunle Adeshina, spokesman of the ministry, quoted Tunji Bello, commissioner for environment and water resources, as saying such centres must get a letter of guarantee from the residents’ association of where they operate.

According to the statement, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has been mandated to apply the full weight of the law in the matter.

Bello said LASEPA officials will monitor the activities of such centres and any of them found to have exceeded the permitted level of sound output will be shut down and appropriate sanctions applied.

The commissioner said the action became imperative because his office has been inundated with complaints from many residents and residents’ associations about the noise levels of many leisure centres and religious houses.

He added that the government discovered that many of the leisure and religious centres after being reopened usually return to the same act for which they were grounded.

“Bello said the action became imperative because his office had been inundated with complaints and petitions from many residents and residents’ associations about the obnoxious noise levels of many leisure centres and religious homes,” the statement read.

“He advised the affected leisure centres to procure soundproof equipment which would lessen the decibel of sound that goes out when they are in business.

“The commissioner emphasised that the state government would not allow any business concern to put the wellbeing of residents at peril simply because it wants to operate.”