One of the things many Hongkongers have to bear in daily life is traffic noise, construction drill and loud discussion by neighbors, but it doesn’t mean locals are used to it. In fact, more than a third of residents complain that such noise deprives them from getting needed rest and relaxation.

In the past, I mentioned the city’s bright lights not only kept stargazers at bay but also made many residents stay wide awake at night. But noise is even more irritating to humans that can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, heart disease and sleep disturbance.

In a survey commissioned by the Hong Kong government, 36 per cent of Hong Kong adults reported that they were disturbed by various forms of noise during the past 12 months. Taking into account the city’s 5.58 million adult population, this means two million Hongkongers are affected by this form of disturbance. Noise coming from traffic, construction and renovation prevented residents from carrying out household chores; even 15 per cent said that their homes were too noisy and they have to raise their voices to communicate. Does this explain why people tend to talk loudly on the phone or inside public buses?

Neighbours in a household upstairs have been renovating their house for the past two months and sometimes noise during the day extends beyond six in the evening. In one noisy ocassion, I thought that if there are talks on how to implement rubbish fees or tax plastic bags, can anything similar be implemented to minimise noise pollution?

Maybe I just have to live with this disturbance, a topnotcher in the list of things I hate about Hong Kong. There’s no end in sight so far. The Environmental Protection Department warns that the number of people affected by noise pollution will only grow as city traffic increases.