From Dr R. Fabri

A year ago I wrote a letter describing the unbearable situation that my family and I must put up with as a result of the constant loud sounds that bombard our home right in the middle of Zebbug.

The source of the unpleasantly loud music is not some uncivilised noisy neighbour, nor some maverick local youth disco. Generally, decent people respect each other and do their best not to bother others. This cannot be said of the owners of Gianpula, a commercial open-air disco club that is situated just below Rabat. The music is so loud that the bass sounds drum themselves right into your brain so that it is impossible to have undisturbed sleep, especially at the weekend. The disgrace is that this madness goes on till 6 o’clock in the morning.

And what is even worse is the fact that this uncivilised activity is “legal” in a supposedly civilised country. From what I gather, it is the Malta Tourism Authority that is ultimately responsible for allowing places like Gianpula to destroy people’s health. Three cheers for the MTA. I ask myself, as I did a year ago, why the authorities allow a handful of money grabbers to terrorise people who live in the area.

Indeed, it seems that it is not only the residents of Zebbug who have the privilege of being disturbed at night. In a letter published in The Malta Independent on Sunday of 6th July, a correspondent from Dingli also complained about the same problem from the same source. And I know for a fact that people in Mdina are also victims of Gianpula. Obviously, the problem is not restricted to Zebbug.

This is a clear case of noise pollution, a type of pollution that is grossly underestimated. Fortunately, there are indications that people are becoming more aware of this problem. Noisy church bells, traffic, loud fireworks, aeroplanes have often been mentioned as sources of disturbance. Unfortunately, however, as usual, the authorities do not seem to take this problem seriously.

They should. It is indeed shocking to read about the effects of noise on people’s health (although we should not forget the other living creatures either). According to a report in The Guardian of 23 August 2007, research shows “…noise can increase the levels of hormones such as cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin in the body, even during sleep.

“The longer these hormones stay in circulation around the blood-stream, the more likely they are to cause life-threatening physiological problems. High stress levels can lead to heart failure, strokes, high blood pressure and immune problems.” Moreover, “… all of this is happening imperceptibly. Even when you think you are used to the noise, these physiological changes are still going on.”

Hardly more needs to be said except that this madness has to stop once and for all. Restrictions should be imposed on the level of noise allowed in places like Gianpula and the time when any noise should be allowed. Discos that disturb the citizens’ peace should be closed down or move indoors with proper sound-proofing.

Finally, as I did in my previous letter, I challenge the owners of Gianpula to react to this letter and justify their position. The consequences of their business interests on people’s well being are much worse than those of the numerous brainless thugs who drive around the streets disturbing as many people as possible with the deafeningly loud music they play in their cars.

As citizens, we are entitled to our peace and quiet, at least between 10pm and 6am. The so-called authorities have the responsibility to guarantee that all the citizens of Malta have a decent night’s rest.

Ray Fabri

ZEBBUG