The Bombay High Court has directed authorities to enforce stricter controls on noise pollution during religious processions, including a ban on firecrackers on public roads and mandatory display of procession permissions, according to a report by The Indian Express. The order has been welcomed by the Pune-based Punekars Against Loudspeakers forum.
A division bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Dr Neela Gokhale took suo motu cognisance of noise pollution caused by religious processions, the report said. The court directed the immediate implementation of measures covering firecrackers, procession permissions, sound levels and the conduct of musical troupes.
Under the directions cited in the report, mandals must display the permissions granted for their processions. The police and other competent authorities have been instructed to monitor and regulate decibel levels during processions and take action under the law when sound exceeds permissible limits.
The court has also banned the use of cylinders as musical instruments by dhol-tasha troupes, according to the report. The order further requires authorities to take action against the bursting of firecrackers on public roads, placing responsibility on enforcement agencies to monitor activity at the location rather than rely only on post-event complaints.
Mukund Kirdat, who heads Punekars Against Loudspeakers, said the order addressed demands raised by residents who had protested against what the forum described as forced and deafening noise. He said the court had also considered the question of why practices followed in Nagpur and Solapur could not be implemented in Pune.
The forum’s response also raised concerns about the existing system for measuring sound levels. Kirdat said the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board measures noise through contractors at several locations, but that the process had produced limited practical results. Under the court’s directions, the police and other concerned authorities will have to conduct on-the-spot inspections and maintain control during processions, he said.
The order also appears to have taken note of the forum’s demand for officially notified silent zones, according to Kirdat. The detailed order is expected to set out the directions on these matters. The report said the Police Commissioner, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Pune Municipal Commissioner will have to coordinate implementation.
Kirdat said the forum hoped Ganesh mandals would support celebrations that reduced noise and avoided vulgar or obscene displays. The court’s directions now place the immediate responsibility for enforcement on the authorities named in the report, while the detailed order will clarify the operational framework for permissions, monitoring, silent zones and action against violations.
