Kalyan | September 8, 2026 — Social organisations and citizens in Kalyan have urged the police and government authorities to ensure a DJ-free and noise-pollution-free Ganeshotsav in the city and surrounding areas, calling for traditional instruments and stricter attention to the impact of loud processions.
The campaign has been led by Sahayog Social Organisation, whose president Vijay Bhosale, social worker Baba Ramteke and other residents have submitted representations to local police officials and government departments. The group has also held meetings at the public library auditorium to build support for the demand.
The representations call on the authorities to implement measures that would prevent excessive noise during Ganesh festival celebrations. The campaigners have appealed to organisers to use traditional instruments, including dhol, tasha, lezim, halgi and zanj groups, instead of high-volume DJ systems and other loud equipment.
Bhosale said that traditional musical groups, once commonly seen during Ganesh processions, had become less visible. He alleged that processions now increasingly feature high-volume DJs, loud instruments and laser lights that may affect people in the surrounding areas. He also said that processions sometimes continue late into the night without adequate attention to time restrictions.
According to the campaigners, loud sound can cause particular difficulty for newborn children, patients, people with mental-health conditions, older residents, cardiac patients, pregnant women, students and people undergoing treatment. The group said the issue required consideration by citizens, festival organisers and public authorities before the celebrations begin.
The campaign has also been linked to wider concerns about living conditions in Kalyan. Ramteke referred to the long-standing odour and waste-related problems around the Aadharwadi landfill, saying residents in the area had faced the effects for 15 to 20 years. He questioned the use of high-volume sound systems during festivals in neighbourhoods already affected by environmental and public-health concerns.
The organisers said there was a contradiction between government appeals to prevent noise pollution and the permission granted to use loud equipment during festivals. They have asked the police and relevant departments to act on the representations submitted to them, but the report did not specify the authorities’ response, any permission conditions or enforcement arrangements.
Retired assistant commissioner of police Indrajit Karle, speaking in Dombivli, also supported the call for traditional celebrations. He said festivals had previously been celebrated without high-volume sound systems and argued that their religious and social character should be preserved. The campaigners described the initiative as a citizen-led appeal for a quieter Ganeshotsav across the Kalyan area.
