DNA Micro Edit: Are state authorities getting lost in the noise?

The clamour from activists and residents in Mumbai for a crackdown against violations of noise pollution rules has been growing in recent years, but authorities seem to be all at sea when it comes to dealing with complaints about decibel violations by religious places cutting across religions and communities, or by political parties.

Be it azaans using loudspeakers, noise level violations during Ganesh Chaturthi or Christmas, or loudspeakers at temples, gurdwaras and other religious places, the police have displayed little will to take action.

There has been a blatant disregard for noise pollution rules at Shivaji Park, a silence zone, during the Shiv Sena’s annual Dussehra rally. Noise levels at the rally invariably end up breaking the ‘decibel’ record of previous years.

Even as numerous PILs were filed by activists to enforce noise pollution rules, the state government maintained it was doing its best. The number of people suffering from noise pollution-related health complications are increasing by the day.  The way forward should be ‘zero tolerance’ towards all violators, and an acknowledgment that noise pollution poses a serious threat to health, just like air pollution. The government has to ensure a complainant is not only protected, but that a complaint is taken to its logical conclusion. This will require political will too, and the state government will have to give the police a free hand to enforce noise pollution rules.