DAR ES SALAAM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's environment regulator on Monday announced that it has closed down 89 businesses across the country for causing noise pollution.
The state-run National Environment Management Council (NEMC) said the businesses that ceased to operate included bars and entertainment centers found making noise that exceeded legally acceptable levels.
Samuel Gwamaka, NEMC director general, told a news conference in Dar es Salaam, the economic hub of Tanzania, that the businesses were found making noise pollution during a special crackdown conducted over the past week throughout the country.
Gwamaka said the 89 businesses that were found making noise pollution were fined and ordered to commit themselves in writing so that they would not repeat the malpractice.
The crackdown on noise polluters will be sustainable, said Gwamaka, adding that the crackdown will also focus on places of worship, especially those conducted in open places in the streets.
On April 24, Deputy Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament Mussa Azan Zungu ordered the NEMC to end the noise pollution before the situation became out of control. "Noise pollution can cause health problems for people, including the elderly, across the country," Zungu told the House in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.
