Pune’s Ganesh Visarjan procession saw noise levels rise sharply along the main routes on Friday evening, with residents and devotees reporting discomfort from high-powered sound systems and dhol-tasha performances as large crowds gathered across central Pune.
The procession began as per tradition from the Lokmanya Tilak statue square at Mandai. Roads in Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, Shaniwar Peth and Shukrawar Peth had been closed to traffic since the previous night to facilitate the event. By evening, the routes through Laxmi Road, Bajirao Road, Kelkar Road, Kumbharwada Road and Tilak Road had become heavily crowded, making it difficult for people to walk through several stretches.
According to the report, loudspeakers became prominent after the traditional mandals reached the procession route. A mandal participating on the Bajirao Road-Kumthekar Road stretch was reported to have used a high-capacity sound system. The noise affected devotees watching the tableaux as well as local residents, while the sound generated by some dhol-tasha groups was also described as exceeding acceptable limits.
The report said some mandals used four bass units and four top speakers, equipment that residents experienced as particularly intense. It also reported the use of strong lighting arrangements alongside the tableaux. The account did not provide decibel readings or details of specific enforcement cases filed during the procession.
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had warned that action would be taken against the use of hazardous laser lights and high-capacity sound systems during the immersion procession. Police had also repeatedly appealed to mandals not to use laser lights. Orders issued by the commissioner reportedly prohibited pressure-mid and plasma sound equipment in the procession’s sound systems.
The noise issue had also drawn the attention of the High Court, and mandals were urged to follow the court’s directions during the procession. The report said many mandals complied with the orders, although the use of four bass and four top speakers at some locations continued to generate intense sound. A large police presence was deployed along the route as the procession and crowds moved through central Pune.
The procession’s immediate operational challenge was therefore not limited to sound. Authorities had to manage pedestrian movement, traffic diversions, crowd density, lighting equipment and compliance with restrictions along a route passing through densely settled inner-city neighbourhoods. The next official steps would depend on police enforcement and any action taken against mandals found to have violated the directions.
