Pune | September 6, 2026
Police restrictions on sound equipment kept noise levels comparatively controlled during Pune’s Dahi Handi celebrations, although some venues violated prescribed limits and one Bibvewadi-based mandal faced criminal action.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had instructed organisers to use sound systems only within specified limits during the festival. Mandals were permitted to use four bass units and four tops, while plasma sound and pressure-mid equipment were prohibited. Most organisers followed the instructions, according to a report by Loksatta – Pune.
The restrictions came as the festival drew crowds across central Pune and the suburbs. The report said public concern over noise pollution, along with police attention to compliance, helped keep sound levels lower than usual. However, some violations were reported, and the use of laser beams was observed in several parts of the central city.
Several mandals had conducted sound-system tests and installed laser equipment after Friday evening, closing roads in different areas. This led to concern among residents that the celebrations could once again produce excessive noise. On Saturday evening, traffic on Chhatrapati Shivaji Road, Bajirao Road, Laxmi Road, Kुमठेकर Road and Tilak Road was diverted through alternative routes as crowds gathered for the festivities.
Large gatherings were reported around Mandai, Tulshibaug, Shaniwar Peth, Kुमठेकर Road, Pangul Ali in Ganesh Peth, Jain Temple Chowk in Guruwar Peth, Govind Halwai Chowk, Somwar Peth, Gokhalenagar, Deep Bungalow Chowk, Karve Road and the Deccan Gymkhana area. Dhol-tasha groups also held stationary performances at some locations during the afternoon.
In Bibvewadi, police registered a case against the president and office-bearers of Shri Krishna Tarun Mandal in the Ota area for allegedly exceeding the permitted sound-equipment limit. The mandal was allowed to use four bass units and four tops but allegedly used eight bass units and tops instead.
The complaint was filed at Bibvewadi police station by police employee Pratik Karanje. Senior Police Inspector Ashwini Satpute confirmed that a case had been registered against the mandal’s president for causing noise pollution in a public place.
The reported enforcement reflects the operational challenge faced by police and civic authorities during large public festivals: allowing cultural celebrations while controlling sound, managing crowds and keeping major roads functioning. For this year’s Dahi Handi events, authorities relied on equipment restrictions, traffic diversions and action against reported violations. The Bibvewadi case remains the specific enforcement action identified in the report.
