Navi Mumbai Police Restrict DJ, Laser Use During Ganeshotsav
Navi Mumbai Police have directed public Ganeshotsav mandals to avoid using DJs and laser lights during the festival, warning that organisers and DJ operators who violate noise regulations or other instructions could face legal action.
The instructions were issued to the heads of all police stations in Navi Mumbai on Friday ahead of the festival. Police officials are contacting public Ganeshotsav mandals and asking them to avoid high-volume DJ systems during arrival and immersion processions and other events.
Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe said that loudspeakers exceeding prescribed noise limits would not be permitted. “We have appealed to Ganeshotsav mandals to avoid using DJs and laser lights. If the instructions are violated, action will be taken against those concerned according to law. Navi Mumbai Police work according to the law. No loudspeaker exceeding the prescribed limit will be permitted,” Bharambe said, according to Loksatta.
The instructions also require organisers to be informed about noise-pollution rules when they apply for permission to use loudspeakers. Deputy Commissioner of Police Rashmi Nandekar, who oversees Zone 3, directed police station in-charges to ensure that mandals receive information about the applicable regulations during the permission process.
The police action is particularly relevant to the Panvel area, where a large number of Ganesh idols are installed during the festival. Officials said the possibility of high-volume DJ use during public processions was one reason for the instructions. Nandekar appealed to mandals to use traditional musical instruments instead, citing the potential disturbance caused to senior citizens, children and patients by loud DJ systems.
Laser-light use has also been flagged because the Panvel area is adjacent to Navi Mumbai International Airport. Aircraft operate from the area around the clock, and laser beams used during processions or other public events can obstruct a pilot’s vision during take-off and landing, police said.
The police referred to complaints made in February by two pilots who reported being affected by laser lights before landing on the airport runway. On that basis, organisers have been advised to avoid laser lights during Ganeshotsav processions and other programmes in the area.
The latest instructions place responsibility on both public mandals and DJ operators. Police have not announced a separate festival-wide prohibition on all sound systems, but have stated that loudspeakers above prescribed limits will not receive permission and that violations will invite action under the law. The permission process and police communications with mandals are the next steps outlined in the instructions.
