VILLAGES UNDER THREAT OF DANGEROUS SOUND POLLUTION

FIGHTER-PLANES CREATE HUGE NUMBERS OF DEAF PEOPLE

SHIB SHANKAR CHATTERJEE
‘Deaf’ is neither by birth nor for any other problem or cause of the village peoples of Santhali, which is
situated in Kalchini Block of Jalpaiguri district of Northeast Indian State, West Bengal. But, this deafness of
children to old ones of the above hamlet had a hobby to enjoy the flight of air-force-plane or fighter-aircraft
(especially, Mig-21, Mig-27, Ground Attack Fighters and some Mig-23UB)s, when they sour in the sky over their
heads. And this hobby has led him to turn deaf. From newborn to age-old, all the peoples of this particular area
are suffering for deafness.
“At present, the number has crossed the limit and reached up to more than 02 thousands to 03 thousands.
Now it seems the entire village has turned into ‘a village of deafs’. Like this village, others 04-numbers to 05-
numbers of villages, like Madhya Santhali, Pachim Santhali, East Santhali, Nakavola, Mandolpara, Latabari, one
forest-village – Gudamdabri and the neighbouring 04 numbers of tea-gardens – Beech, Santhali, Subhashini,
Madhu, including 03-numbers of small town, Hashimara, Kalchini and Hamiltonganj, which all places are belong
to aforesaid district and situated beside the 16 Number Wing War Plane of Indian Air Force (IAF) training center
based at Hashimara Air Field, where the air-force training come exists to close these areas”, claimed local village
peoples.
“Out of more than 45,000-numbers to 50,000-numbers of peoples of the above noted village areas, 40
numbers to 50 numbers or more have gone completely deaf and the others at least 100 numbers to 200 numbers
will soon lose their hearing to the roar of the daily exercise routine of the IAF’s fighter-aircrafts, which are flying
low over above mentioned villages, townships and tea-estates day and night through out the year simultaneously”,
emphasized Uttam Mondal, son of 71-years-old Joshni Mondal of Mondal Para area of the aforesaid village
areas, who lost his power of hearing.
“Out of 50,000-numbers of village peoples of these villages, 35,000-numbers to 40,000-numbers belong
to poor underdeveloped Scheduled Tribe (ST) sections, who are specially the victims of deafness due to the
pollution of sound of fighter-aircrafts that soar only 200-feet to 250-feet above their heads. When these fighter-
aero-planes move over their heads, producing or creating sound with more than 400-decibels to 500-decibels, the
village inhabitants go unnerved. Even, they can’t talk to each other. No one can hear anything clearly.
Most astonishing fact is that the pupils (that is, children) of the village-schools run away from their
respective schools, when these fighter-planes fly in the sky. Sometimes, the schools are declared over. Not only
that, the village-houses have gone crack due to the shrill sound of fighter-planes”, revealed the school teachers of
these village areas, who doesn’t want to disclose his name.
“This is a kind of repression and it has been continuing for the last 20 years to 25 years and as a result,
40% (percent) to 45% (percent) peoples of these areas have lost their strength of hearing and become deaf. Apart
from this, at night, when the sky remains clear, the soldiers of the IAF come out with their respective 04 numbers
to 05 numbers fighter-planes and begin flying very low level of the sky and to chase each other, which cause 05
times to 06-times roaring sound than the prescribed limit of 60-decibels to 65-decibels”, claimed the local doctor
as well as the village-quack.
According to the local scholars, ‘Hashimara airbase or airfield is specially noted for air-force training
ground, where a lot of fighter-aircrafts along with their trainees get training and it has been going on for last 20
years to 25 years. In fact, Hashimara airfield is now one of the noted airbases for imparting training to IAF. At the
outset, it was a very small one and was built by the European Tea Planters for carrying out their business in the
Dooars areas of the West-Bengal. The planes used in this air-space were launched by former Jam Air Company.
They made it for flying between Kolkata, the capital of the abovementioned state to Hashimara in order to
maintain the continuity of the tea trade’.
“The situation took a new turn, when India-China War broke out in the year, 1962. It was during this war
period, the defense authorities of India felt the necessity to build a permanent airbase here. Because of its strategic
importance to the neighbouring foreign states with China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar (that is, Burma) and former
East-Pakistan, that is, erstwhile East-Bengal, locally known as, Purb-Bangla or Purba-Banga, presently –
Bangladesh and their international borders from the defense and security point of view. That is why, this small
airfield turned into a major and full-fledged military airfield and one of the nerve-centre of the IAF, which played
an exclusive part in the war between India and Pakistan of 1971 also.
Indeed, this airbase was opened by the British Government to provide facilities for easy and prompt
movement of their Government employees. Thus, this calm, simple and charming place gradually turned into
strong noise creates strong sound pollution”, disclosed Retired Lieutenant Colonel S. C. Mondal.
As an airman he further revealed, “From the security point of view, this airbase is very important.
Because, the country, China is very close to India and it should exist keeping all the past bitter history with China.
But, side by side, a provision for rendering medical aid to these adjacent village poor peoples should have to be
made, which is good for all. However, it is better for the health of all if it flies over a certain height or keeping
certain distance. So, that the roaring of the planes cannot harm anybody. Otherwise it will be better to implement
soundless modern fighter plane”.
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 But, the matter was brought to light to the Environment Department by the director of the Public Health
Centre or Primary Health Centre (PHC) of Santhali village, Dr. Sunil Basu through a letter, dated 30th November,
1996, where he clearly mentioned that everyday the fighter-aircrafts of IAF fly from 06 am to 11 pm emitting heart
rending sound, which causes deafness among the inhabitants of these region. As a result, a huge number of
patients come to local PHC, who are suffering from deafness, heart diseases, et cetera and this number has been
increasing day by day.
In this matter, the president of Gram-Panchayet (Village-Panchayet)s of the above noted villages agreed
to the authenticity of sound pollution. He added that this pollution has not only created the disease like deafness,
but also mental imbalance (that is, Trauma). In some cases, the pregnant women become the victims of the
disease like, miscarriage, early child born, et cetera.
A clear picture of all these diseases and unfortunate incidents will be revealed, if a high level enquiry
committee of Indian West Bengal State Government as well as Indian Central Government is setup to enquire all
these matters. But in vain, no one pays any heed to it in this matter, except the Non Governmental Organization
(NGO).
It is true that a local environmental NGO group named ‘Alipurduar Nature Club’ was aware of this and
first brought to light this matter in November, 1996. But, on the other hand, the members of the ‘Alipurduar Rover
& Mountaineer Club’ also demanded monetary help from the IAF department for the treatment of the persons
suffering from deafness and other diseases et cetera.
Though, according to the Indian West Bengal State Pollution Control Board that this air-base causing
‘Sound Pollution’, while taking off and landing of air-crafts. But, “Keeping in mind China’s plans of gaining a
presence in the Northeast Indian Frontier and its growing intimacy with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the
Ministry of Defence, Government of India is chiefly planning to provide air defence cover to the chicken-neck
corridor across Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan through upgrading the strategic air base at ‘Hasimara Air Base’ to
enable sophisticated fighter aircraft like ‘Mirage-2000’ and the recently acquired SU-30 MKI Air Dominance
Fighter to operate from it”, disclosed earlier Air Commodore K. K. Nowhar, Air Officer Commanding, Hasimara
Air Force Station on 07th October, 2003.
“This airfield base has two numbers of Squadrons, namely : Number-22 – “Swifts” (which has joined in
Hashimara December, 1973) and Number-222 – “Tigersharks” (which has joined in Hashimara May, 1989),
operating Mig-23/Mig-27 Floggers. Both the aforesaid squadrons had provided chief assistances during the war of
1965 and 1971 respectively. The base has capacity to about 50 MiG-27 supersonic fighter aircraft which requires
around 08,000-litres of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and can fly at an altitude of about 51,000-feet at a speed of
approximate 02,500-metres per second. The ground compatibility of the said airfield even, would be upgraded in
order to make it operational for more sophisticated aircraft, including SU-30 and others like LCA, ALH and HJT,
which are already in the pipeline”, asserted earlier Wing Commander S. N. Mukherjee, one of the Air
Commodores of the said air force on 19th May, 2004.
“In effect, the all sections of the village peoples of these areas clearly stated that they are not against the
airstrip and air-force department and their activities. Even, they don’t want to wind up the air force’s office from
the Hashimara. They desire that both the villagers and the air-force cantonment should exist side by side and
work as usual and to fight against the enemies like Pakistan and China. They only hope that the IAF department
should control the roaring of the aircrafts through the modern technologies as much as possible; so that the
sound pollution may be made minimized to check victimization of these very poor village people, who live in
below poverty line”, expressed Satyen Mondal, the former president of Kalchini Panchayet Samiti of the
aforementioned district.
But, the good news is, recently, Government of India has decided to retire this ageing fleet over 150
ground attack fighter planes, which were inducted in the IAF since 1962. In this connection, it can be mentioned
here that around 700-numbers of Mig-21 (the world’s most produced fighter jet that entered soviet service in the
year, 1959) the fighter planes produced by former United States of Soviet Russia (USSR) inducted at that time.
But, unfortunately, almost half have been lost in accidents.
Here, it can be mentioned that Mikoyan-Gurevich, known as : MiG, NATO reporting name : Flogger, is a
swing-wing fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich, bureau in the earlier United States of Soviet
Russia (USSR), that is, Soviet Union. It was the first Soviet fighter with a look-down and shoots-down radar and
beyond visual range missiles, and the first MiG production fighter plane to have intakes at the sides of the
fuselage. Production started in the year, 1970 and reached large numbers with over 05,000 numbers of aircraft
built. It has been included in the Indian Air Force (IAF) for combat air operations during war. IAF 16-Wing is
located near Hashimara under Jalpaiguri District of the eastern Indian State, West Bengal (WB), which is
strategically located airbase under Indian Eastern Air Command. It has covered the air-operations of Indian states
– West Bengal, Sikkim and if needed, then also the neighbouring country – Bhutan.

(Author is former BBC, The Statesman, The Times of India & Hindustan Times & The Telegraph,
AP, AFP & PTI Contributor-cum-Photographer of Northeast India/The writer specialises in Northeast Affairs)

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References :

01. Features : Sounded out –– by Shib Shankar Chatterjee, The Statesman, The Statesman Limited,
Statesman House, 04 Chowringhee Square, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, Pin Code Number-700 001, Dated 07th
August, 2009.
02. Fighter-planes Create Huge Numbers of Deaf People – by Shib Shankar Chatterjee, News Blaze,
(Newswire Organisation of United States of America [USA]), Dated 27th March, 201o.