Police in Pune have filed 116 cases against mandals accused of exceeding prescribed noise limits during Dahi Handi celebrations and have seized six sound systems, officials said on September 8, 2026.
The action followed inspections across Pune city and its suburbs, where police checked mandals using decibel-measuring equipment. Authorities had warned organisers that legal action would follow if sound limits were breached during the festival.
According to police, 1,100 mandals were inspected during the operation. Most mandals complied with the instructions, while some did not use loudspeaker systems, officials said.
The highest number of cases was registered in the central part of the city, identified by police as Zone One. A total of 55 mandals in the zone face cases, according to the police information cited in the report.
Police also seized four pressure-mead units, four plasma sound units and six sound-amplification systems after finding the use of equipment prohibited under the instructions issued for the celebrations. The report did not specify the total number of people booked or the status of the cases.
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has instructed mandals to use four bass units and four top units in their sound systems during Dahi Handi and Ganeshotsav celebrations. The use of pressure-mead and plasma sound equipment has been prohibited, police said.
The enforcement forms part of the city police’s regulation of amplified sound during major public festivals. Authorities said further action would be taken against mandals that exceed permitted sound levels or use prohibited equipment.
