With the Ganeshotsav festival starting this weekend, anti-noise campaigner Awaaz Foundation has drawn the attention of the Mumbai police, district authorities, and pollution control agencies to the recent order of the National Green Tribunal, Pune, to monitor, regulate, prosecute offenders, and publish details of violations in that city.
The tribunal has asked the government authorities to ban Disco Jockeys, and high-decibel music instruments, limit the size of processions, and issue public warnings on the health hazards caused by excessive noise. Awaaz Foundation, the petitioner in the case that led to the courts directing the government to implement Noise Rules, said these directives should be replicated in Mumbai.
Awaaz Foundation said the group has measured noise pollution in Mumbai since 2003. In 2023, the highest noise levels from loudspeakers during the festival season were 114.7dB during Ganpati Visarjan and 108.1 dB during Eid e Milad. Both these readings are over permissible decibel levels in residential zones, said Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation.
The tribunal, in its order on August 30, asked the state environment department, Pune District Collector, and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Pune police, and Pune Municipal Commissioner, to follow a set of new directions to control noise pollution during the festival. The directives were issued by Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Member Dr Vijay Kulkarni on an application by Dr Kalyani Mandke, a resident of Erandwane.
The judges said they think that certain additional directions need to be issued. The directives shall be immediately implemented /followed for Ganesh festival in Pune this year onwards, they said.
NGT directives
MPCB shall carry out real-time noise monitoring at a minimum three locations in/near each pandal at its own expense.
During Visarjan processions, MPCB shall carry out real-time noise monitoring at major traffic junctions in consultation with the police, and also install digital display boards of appropriate size and at appropriate locations displaying real-time noise levels along with the applicable noise level limit during processions.
The display will also have the warning message “Noise Levels More Than Noise Limits Are Injurious to Health”.
The police department, in consultation with MPCB, shall decide the total capacity of loudspeakers allowed at each pandal based on location, considering their locations next to school/hospital/residential complexes.
Police department to ensure that the total number of Dhol, Tasha, Zanj members in each troupe during the procession shall not exceed 30.
Police shall seize loudspeakers, sound systems, and musical instruments from violators and start criminal prosecution against them immediately.
MPCB shall publish the names of violators of Noise Rules, 2000, in two local newspapers and upload details on its website as public information.
MPCB should publicise these directions as also the harmful effect of high noise levels in advance before the commencement of the festival in Pune through newspapers/banners/posters etc so that the directions are adhered to by all concerned without pleading ignorance.
