The Shivaji Park police station is yet to take action against violations of noise pollution norms that occurred during the Shiv Sena’s recent Dussehra rally. The police hasn’t issued a notice to the organiser and said it is calculating the average noise level readings to ascertain if norms were violated.
Sumaira Abdulali, founder of Awaaz Foundation, on Tuesday, had recorded noise levels at the rally. The hearing on this matter, however, is scheduled to be held on October 17.
Directions of the Bombay high court specify that in any silence zone, even in the daytime, no sound-making instrument including drums, tom toms, loudspeakers or any type of music may be played in a silence zone. This means that any procession passing through an area that is within 100 metres around a hospital, court, educational institution or religious place must be silent.
Ms Abdulali claimed that the police is at fault. “The police, according to the court’s latest order in August this year, had specified that use of any instruments or loudspeakers in silent zones is illegal and it should take immediate action. However, in this rally, they not only allowed installations of loudspeakers but also stood on the ground when they were being used.”
Justifying the use of loudspeakers at the event, Anil Parab, the organiser of the rally and Shiv Sena Member of Legislative Council, said, “According to the law, violation of noise pollution norms takes place when the recordings show more than 60 decibels, but in Mumbai traffic, the noise recordings show up to 72 decibels. Hence, whether or not there is a loudspeaker installed, it is termed a violation as per the law.”
According to the order, decibel meters aren’t required to be installed to measure noise levels, since just the playing of any sound-producing instrument is considered to be a violation.
In addition, with the help of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, decibel levels in residential zones can be measured and suitable action can be taken to cancel loudspeaker licences or stop the playing of noise-making instruments whenever the permissible decibel levels are violated.
Gangadhar Sonawane, senior police inspector of Shivaji Park police station said, “We are in the process of analysing the recordings, after which the organisers will be sent a notice.”
