Mumbai Police to crack down on noise pollution violators

Mumbai Police is preparing to crack down on the noise pollution violators and will start hold meetings at all police stations to sensitise locals about noise pollution and the required permissions that has to be taken from the police department for using loudspeakers or organising events where loud noise is expected. The police have clarified that no permissions would be granted whatsoever for use of loudspeakers in the specified silent zones. They are planning to invoke Section 15 of Environment Protection Act, which means one lakh fine or five years jail term or both.

"As per the High Court order, guidelines have been issued on noise pollution. At police station level our people will take meeting and sensitise locals about the guidelines," said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Manjunath Singe.

Asked how the police plans to implement the court order, another senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity said, "We have minimum two decibel metres at each police station in the city. During Ganpati it has been observed that noise level is very high in city. Before Ganpati the police top brass would hold a meeting with the lower rung officers on how to go with the implementation during Ganpati and following festival season. Apart from this, we would also take help of NGOs such as Awaaz Foundation to help us curb the issue of noise pollution."

"Every person or organisation who wants to use loudspeaker or crackers that breaches decibel level have to take permission from the police. If required permission is not taken then action will be taken on them. In silence zones we will anyway not give any permission to ensure noise level do not breach there," the officer said.