Mumbai listens to Volume 'Kam Kar'

Diwali is a festival of lights but over the years, the city has turned it into a festival of sound. But this year's festival showed a glimmer of hope — noise was less compared to last year.

“We took the ambience level readings from various areas. Diwali, this year, seemed lot quieter,” activist Sumaira Abdulali said. Abdulali’s Awaaz Foundation, an NGO, works against noise pollution. “Noise was particularly less on Thursday. Crackers were largely aerial and colourful ones. Sound crackers like the 1,000 round (lavangis and bombs) one were few… it was not like last year.”

Noise was less, but it was still above the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board’s prescribed limits (55 decibels (dB) during the day and 45dB at night) in residential areas. The decibel levels at Marine Drive, Bandra and Worli ranged between 80dB and 95dB.   

Residents and activists attributed the less noise to increased awareness. “We felt that the noise was 30-35% less than last year. We tried to reach out to young people. There is hope… we can curb noise pollution, if we want to,” Harish Pandey, secretary of the New Link Road Residents Forum (Borivli-Dahisar), said.

About people breaching the 10pm deadline, Pandey said it was not surprising. “The pooja timings were late,” he said. “But the good thing is people did not fire crackers the next night.”
Some places, which are notorious for firecrackers acting like morning alarm bells, were quieter this year, Nikhil Desai, resident of King Circle, said. “The loud noise of firecrackers used to jolt us out of our sleep at four in the morning. That did not happen this time. It was a welcome change.”

“It was good to see children not firing crackers late in the night. Some did go beyond the deadline, but things have surely improved this year,” Vidya Vaidya, who stays in the Bandra Reclamation area, said.

For years, residents of Five Gardens and Marine Drive have had to suffer the loud firecrackers. People from these areas too felt the noise was at least 30-40% less. “Our area was less noisier than last year,” Zareen Engineer, member of the Muncherchi Edulji Joshi Colony Residents Association, said. Engineer who stays in Five Gardens said people did flout the deadline but “it was lot more peaceful”.

“Every Diwali, firecrackers drown our voices. Residents have to scream while speaking to each other,” Nikhil Banker, convenor of the Marine Drive Youth Association, said. “But this year we did not have to scream. We could talk peacefully.”

Residents from the Cuffe Parade said this year’s Diwali was almost a silent one. “Noise was 40-50% less. People did not fire crackers,” Ashok Kanwar, president of the Cuffe Parade Residents Association, said. “Even the children seemed averse to the idea of firecrackers. I think awareness drives have had its impact.”