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Court/ NGT judgements

A serious punishable crime, Police to take strict action

March 21, 2019: The Times of India

Noise pollution beyond prescribed norms is a serious punishable crime, the National Green Tribunal said and asked Delhi Police to map such hotspots as also put in place a surveillance mechanism for taking strict action against violators.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the police commissioner to monitor the implementing officers in order to safeguard the right of citizens and email the report within a month.

The green court said that citizens have constitutional right to peaceful environment and noise pollution beyond prescribed norms is a serious punishable crime for which adequate preventive and remedial action is needed.

“There has to be strict action of identifying and mapping the hotspots of noise pollution, requiring installation of noise measuring device,” the bench said. “There has to be a surveillance and monitoring mechanism, coordination with the educational institutions and resident welfare associations at regular intervals,” it added while posting the matter for hearing on July 12.

The tribunal said it had an interaction with the concerned officers in an attempt to advise them on understanding their responsibility and accountability to law and their duty to the society. NGT’s observation came while dealing with a plea alleging that illegal use of loudspeakers at mosques was adversely affecting the health of the residents living in their vicinity in east Delhi.

The state-wise position

Delhi

The Times of India, June 9, 2016

Noise pollution is a killer too

Yearly trend of Delhi's noise monitoring stations; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, June 9, 2016

The busy ITO junction in Delhi registers around 74 decibel (dB) of sound on a typical day , almost 10db over the limit for commercial areas. The level near Acworth Hospital in Mumbai's Wadala is usually 70dB, almost 20dB more than what's permitted in such a zone.

Noise pollution is now linked to many ailments ­ from irreversible hearing loss to anxiety attacks to hypertension and heart disease. Considering that every 10dB increase makes the sound twice as loud to the human ear, the health implications for a regular commuter are serious. The situation is so bad in cities that ENT specialists now say a 20dB loss in hearing among urbanites is “normal“.

That's the impact of the constant onslaught of noise on our ears, say experts.It's a subject on which there is limited research and little understanding.

“People don't realise that noise is the hidden enemy of man. It affects your en tire body , said Dr Yeshwant Oke, who brought noise pollution into the public consciousness when he filed the first noise pollution-related petition in the Bombay courts in 1985.

Sumaira Abdulali of Awaz Foundation echoes a similar sentiment: “People will adjust to living next to a railway station despite the disturbance caused by loud announcements and honking. Loud music is one of the leading cause of police complaints the world over, including India, but we never think too much about the harm of constant honking by cars on the roads just outside their house. Clearly , the main sources of noise in the main urban centres are vehicles,

Loudspeakers for religion, social events

Triyadan: Silent prayers

Nazar Abbas, Temples and mosques go mute in Rampur, June 4, 2017: The Times of India

 In show of communal amity , Hindus agreed to remove loudspeaker from temples and Muslims from mosques in a restive Moradabad village. According to police officials, tension was simmering in the village for the past three years over loudspeakers at temples and mosques.

Circle officer (rural) Chakramani Tripathi said, “Police and district administration of Moradabad are full of praise for the initiative taken by the elders of both the communities who amicably resolved the issue in the holy month of Ramzan.“

Triyadan village under the jurisdiction of Bhagatapur police station here has been in news for recurring communal violence over the use of loudspeakers on places of worship of both the communities .

2018: HC makes UP ban illegal loudspeakers, even at religious places

Arvind Chauhan, UP bans illegal loudspeakers, even at religious places, after HC rap, January 8, 2018: The Times of India

After receiving flak from the Allahabad high court over noise pollution in Uttar Pradesh, the state government issued detailed directives on Sunday to all district administrations over use of permanently installed loudspeakers at public places.

According to the circular issued to all 75 district magistrates in the state, the local administrations will identify religious structures/places and public areas in their respective districts where unauthorised loudspeakers are being used, and serve notices to the owner/manager/trustee of such places. If they failed to obtain permission for the usage of loudspeakers under the permissible limit then police and local administration have to ensure they are removed by January 20.

The directive is also applicable for loudspeakers being used in public places, marriage processions, protests, parades or similar kind.

The HC had on December 20, 2017 sought to know what action had been taken against such illegal installations and also against the officers who failed to ensure that rules were followed.

The Sources of Noise Pollution

Sources and damage caused + Indian rules/ 2018

Noise Pollution and India: The sources and damage caused
Indian rules/ 2018
From: October 18, 2018: The Times of India

See graphic:

Noise Pollution and India: The sources and damage caused
Indian rules/ 2018

See also

Noise Pollution: Delhi