Bombay HC slams officials for not curtailing noise pollution

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday pulled up the regional officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control board of Thane and asked him to justify his role in face of noise pollution issue staying unresolved since the past six months when noise mapping was done. The Court also gave a last chance to TMC officials and the other authorities to comply with Court directions and implement noise control norms failing which contempt proceedings would be initiated against all of them.

Justice A S Oka and V V Kankanwadi were hearing a contempt petition filed by Hirali Foundation, an NGO against the inaction by the Thane and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation officials, police officials and environment and pollution control board officials for not taking steps to curb instances of noise pollution in Thane and Ulhasnagar. The petition prayed that as the said officials were not taking action against persons flouting noise restrictions, contempt proceedings should be initiated against all of them.

According to the petitioner’s lawyer they were filing an affidavit pertaining to the petition which contained information that the relevant authorities had done noise mapping almost six months back and had also demarcated silence zones. However, in utter disregard to the same, people had been using loudspeakers way beyond the permissible decibel limits and inconveniencing the young and the old. The police assured the court that action was being taken.

In light of the assurances by the authorities of curbing noise pollution, the court gave them a last chance failing which it said contempt proceedings would be initiated against them on July 27.