Author: Merxhan Daci
When Edi Rama appeared in the song “Tirona” by performing, among other things, its verses “ Noise, so much noise as noise”, he was not only the mayor of the largest city, but also the man who rolled up his sleeves to fix it. But almost two decades after the song by the Albanian band West Side Family, the Albanian capital continues to be in the same reality with smog, chaos and contrasts of dilapidated kiosks and a super palace next to it. But as the refrain of the song was, Tirana continues to be the noisiest city in Albania.
In total, it is estimated that over half a million citizens operate daily under noise exposure and impacts.
Trying to bring the situation under control, during the month of December 2021, it was announced that development permits for activities that generate noise would no longer be granted in residential blocks in the capital. It included car washes, or car service stations, which were declared to be moved away from residential areas.
The municipality of Tirana announced that it will discipline the granting of permits for such entities, but it will also manage traffic noise and create a map of green acoustic areas.
But five months later, nothing has changed. Citizens complain that the constructions in every corner of the capital and the heavy traffic are making their living difficult to impossible.
Tirana has dangerous noise for health
The permitted rate of noise according to Albanian, European legislation and the standard of the World Health Organization is 45 decibels, while this is exceeded several times in some areas in Tirana.
Some of the main causes of the levels above the permitted rates of noise level measurements in Tirana: are the increase in vehicle traffic, the expansion of construction activity including infrastructure constructions as well as other public and private investments.
According to a 2021 report of the "Green Lungs" project implemented by CO-Plan, for more than five years there have been no measurements of noise parameters by state institutions in any part of the city of Tirana.
The measurements of "Green Lungs" have shown that one of the areas most polluted by noise is Shqiponja Square, where the noise level has reached 132 decibels, a very high level and above the permitted norms. There were similar levels in "Dritan Hoxha" and "Teodor Keko" streets. The reason for these noise levels in these areas is the infrastructural works for the New Ring Road and the resulting traffic.
Another problematic area is that of the former Block due to the bars and restaurants concentrated in this area. This is clearly seen in the measurements carried out during dinner hours when the area of the former Block on the map is colored red, to show the high level of noise pollution.
It is enough to download one of the applications on the phone that measure the level of noise in the environment. "Sinjalizo" downloaded dBMeter and made an observation around the capital to try to understand the noise trend.
Some of the noises reach 100 decibels, a level that is considered harmful and categorized as "danger" by the European and global noise pollution application and standards.
In the area of "Skënderbej" square, for example, where recently there have been several events that have created quite a bit of noise pollution, the data of our application shows levels of up to 90 decibels around 19:20.
Another area that has shown high values in our application is that of "Asim Vokshi" street near Harry Fultz, where the values have reached around 100 decibels.
Values ranging from 80-90 decibels were also found in the area of Elbasan street or Jean D'Arc Boulevard.
"Sinjalizo" tried to contact the Municipality of Tirana to get a comment about the action plan 5 months after the activation, so what measures have been taken by the institution of the Municipality of Tirana.
Likewise, the question of whether there are a number of complaints in the municipality from citizens about noise pollution did not receive an answer.
Noise – Real concern for residents and businesses
Chris is a foreign national. It has been rented in a hostel in Tirana for several years on Bogdanev Street. Chris's arrival in this neighborhood coincided with the start of construction of an adjacent 7-story building.
" My name is Kris, I've been in Albania for 4 years. I rented this place. We're in the middle of the city so it's normal to have noise during the day, like traffic, big cities have that. But the construction brings an added noise since it's adjacent. Construction here starts every day from 7 am to 5 am. There's noise, metal cutting, wood, etc. They don't have a set schedule. A 6-7-story residential building is being built. You have construction in Tirana on every corner, so this definitely brings noise ," Chris tells "Sinjalizo".
He says, among other things, that there have been quite a few complaints about the noise from his customers from all over the world.
"It happens that the hostel is full of people and the construction starts at 5 o'clock in the morning. Normally, when working with an excavator and it is only 50 cm away from this building, the whole building shakes and shakes. What can you tell clients, they wake up in the morning and say I haven't had an hour of sleep. This definitely damages our business, as customers write negative comments that there is noise, construction here".
Meanwhile, this photo was sent to the editors of "Sinjalizo" by a resident who lives near where this building is being erected.
The photo was taken at 1:XNUMX a.m. as the large machines pouring concrete into this building are visible.
A new construction has turned into a nightmare for Aldo M. on Elbasan street. He is 29 years old and has been living there for several years in one of the entrances to a communist-era building, and a new building is being built next door for months. Aldo is a barber by profession and tells "Sinjalizo" that the damage from noise is twofold for him, both as a resident and in his work environment.
" They work around the clock, they leave the bars on the street, because they have a problem. They work at 1 am, at 2 am. When the concrete mixer comes, it's a problem, plus it brings traffic, this street here in the neighborhood is completely blocked ," says Aldo.
According to the data of the Institute of Statistics, in 2021, 366 building permits were granted in the district of Tirana, most of them normally in the capital. As noted by the traffic monitoring, there is a greater load of traffic volume near these constructions where various construction materials distribution vehicles circulate, but not only.
Noise is really a concern for people's health, where according to WHO data it ranks as the number two cause of diseases in the category of environmental pollutants.
Aljona Jonuzi, psychologist by profession, has been working in Tirana for years. She says that her customers' complaints and concerns about the noise are frequent.
"I often get complaints from people who have problems or intolerance to various noises. There are people who have anxiety or suffer from panic disorders or insomnia and when these noises occur, they find them intolerable. They get irritated more quickly, or are sensitive, to any kind of noise that happens around them. In most cases, the biggest complaints are about loud music, bars below buildings, for example, with noise around the clock. People become aggressive, impatient. If the noise issue is constant, then it leads to panic attacks in some people," she tells "Sinjalizo".
The legal framework and instructions or Decisions of the Council of Ministers have not been absent throughout the years in Albania.
The first law regulating noise pollution in Albania is that of July 2007.
Three years later, a VKM of 2010 was aimed at monitoring and controlling noise levels in urban and touristic centers. In 2012, two guidelines were adopted on the issue of noise pollution. In 2012, a VKM was approved for the approval of the National Action Plan for Noise Management.
In 2014, there was an order for the adoption of the regulation for the protection of the environment from civil aviation noise.
Then, from 2015-2018, there were three more guidelines to try to regulate noise pollution.
Although the legal framework is not lacking, the level of implementation of this legislation, among other things adapted to the directives of the European Union, leaves much to be desired.
One of the reasons for the non-implementation of the legislation is the lack of administrative structures to further develop the National Plan. One of the other reasons is the lack of strategy and funds allocated by the central and local government for the implementation of policies for the assessment and monitoring of the noise level as well as the creation of noise spot maps. The last measurements for the city of Tirana date back to 2015.
ISHP carried out environmental noise monitoring until 2014 and then carried out and continues to carry out measurements for certain entities according to complaints as well as for entities applying for environmental permits.
According to "Sinjalizo" information, there are no certified noise experts in Albania. Thus, self-monitoring data are always declared within the allowed national norms.
