Pune | September 3, 2026 — The Pune District Sound, Light and Generator Owners Association on Wednesday said it would comply with legally prescribed sound limits during Dahi Handi and Ganeshotsav, but opposed what it described as a complete ban or excessive restrictions on sound systems during festivals.
Association president Ganesh Kalbhor made the demand at a press conference in Pune, calling for the same rules to apply uniformly across all festivals throughout the year. Vice-president Sagar Sutar, working president Omkar Padwal, adviser Mohit Palesha and Republican Parivartan Panther representative Gajendra Prakash More were also present.
Kalbhor said sound-system operators accepted that excessive noise affects ordinary residents, young children, senior citizens and patients. He attributed high sound levels during Ganeshotsav to the use of plasma systems, walls of loudspeakers and competition between processions or mandals facing each other. The association said it was prepared to operate within court-mandated rules.
The association said it would work for Ganesh mandals that provide a written assurance that they will not ask operators to increase the volume. It warned that if rules considered adverse to sound-system operators were implemented before Dahi Handi, members could organise a statewide march.
Kalbhor said restrictions including a limit of four top speakers and four bass speakers, as well as bans on laser lights and pressure media, were acceptable to the association. He said the group also supported stopping excessively loud sound, but opposed a complete prohibition on sound equipment during festival processions. The association asked the administration to reconsider restrictions affecting sound systems used in processions.
According to Kalbhor, hundreds of people in Pune depend on this work for their livelihood. He said the sector had generated annual transactions of around Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for professionals, while operators were now finding it difficult to earn even Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 this year. The source report did not provide independently verified financial records for these figures.
Sutar said sound work was often treated as an additional occupation and alleged that changing rules and DJ bans were causing financial losses to operators. He claimed that demand for sound systems had declined in Maharashtra while demand in other states had increased, affecting local employment. He appealed to Ganesh mandals not to bring sound systems from outside Maharashtra.
Sutar also said the association had decided not to play obscene songs during this year’s processions. The operators’ group called for the administration to establish a permanent rulebook instead of changing regulations every year. More said a march could be organised in Pune with Ganesh mandal workers if restrictions continued, but no date for such an action was announced.
