Accra, July 12, GNA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would soon organise a durbar for members of Ghana Private Road and Transport Unio= n and private transport owners to highlight health hazards associated with noise making. The durbar scheduled for Accra, has become necessary due to the expansion and intensity of noise making by some drivers at lorry stations and within the metropolis.

Mr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Senior Programmes Officer, EPA, disclosed thi= s to Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday, at the end of a seminar organised by the management of Ecoshield Foundation Ghana (EFG), a non-governmental organisation on sustainable development. It was on the theme: 93I am Concerned: Involving the Younger Generation," and organised in partnership with EPA, Ministry of Environme= nt, Science and Technology and Zoomlion Waste Management Limited. Mr Amoah said the durbar would afford EPA officials the opportunity to discuss with drivers, private transport owners and traders, on the need to keep lorry stations and public places clean. He said lorry stations and other public places had been identified as hot spots for littering and other unsanitary activities. Mr Amoah appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies t= o be stringent in enforcing bye-laws to control noise making.

He observed that noise making was now a major challenge in the Accra metropolis, adding the EPA had been receiving numerous complaints about excessive noise making, especially by churches during watch night prayer sessions. Mr Amoah said EPA was combining intensive public education with strict enforcement of the law, to restore some level of sanity adding that genuine commitment on the part of the citizenry to ensure a noise-free environment was critical. Increased noise levels is said to give rise to lack of concentration and accuracy at work, and a reduction in one's productivity and performan= ce.

It disturbs health and behaviour in many ways, including deafness, lac= k of sleep, irritability, indigestion, heartburn, high blood pressure, ulcers= , and heart disease.

Earlier, Mr Clement Appiah, Executive Director of EFG said the seminar was organised to sensitise the youth on the importance of keeping the environment clean. He said his outfit had initiated some programmes to train the youth an= d promote environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene. Mr Appiah said the vision of EFG was to 93get the younger generation involved in solving the nation's environmental problems."