Don't object to national events: Bombay HC tells trust

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday told the Wecom Trust, who has filed a petition regarding noise pollution at Shivaji Park, to not raise objection against national events held there otherwise people will check their bona fide in this petition. This statement has come when the trust complained to the court that the Republic Day parade practise at Shivaji Park with musical bands is disturbing the residents.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Anuja Prabhuesai was hearing a petition filed by Wecom Trust, a Shivaji Park residents NGO. The trust’s petition stated that on August 2016, the high court, while giving comprehensive order on noise pollution PILs had said that Shivaji Park is a silence zone area and nobody can play loudspeakers there. The petitioner has claimed that despite the high court order the organisers of Children’s day, Mahaparinirvan din (Ambedkar death anniversary) and Jagannath Rath Yatra had used loudspeakers and no police action was taken against them.

On Wednesday, the state government tendered an apology on affidavit and informed the court that all the directions have been issued to all the police stations that no loud speakers should be allowed in the silence zone. However, on the complaint made by Wecom’s lawyer over musical band being played during Republic Day parade practise disturbing the residents, the court said that no objections should be raised against organised national events otherwise people will ask your bona fide.

Advocate general Rohit Deo told the court that they have proposed to the central government that while celebrating national events, the silent zone rules should be relaxed for that day. He further informed that as of now the central government has not taken decision on the same.