As Navratri begins, Delhi residents say unable to sleep due to boom boxes

CPCB permits a maximum noise level of 55dB(A) between 6am and 10pm in residential areas and 45dB(A) from 10pm till 6am

With the beginning of Navratri festivities, several neighbourhoods across south, east, and southeast Delhi have been complaining of deafening levels of music being played on boom boxes installed on trucks and carts as preparations for the processions.

Boom boxes play loud music in a procession near Kalkaji mandir in New Delhi on Saturday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

A police officer aware of the matter said they received nearly 10 calls regarding problems being faced due to boom boxes. “Several teams were on duty to ensure no nuisance was created. While the teams attended to the calls made on emergency number, they also took suo motu action and plugged the wire of more than 100 boom boxes on Saturday,” the officer said.

Residents said last night many of them were kept awake as their doors and windows rattled through the night, and they fear fearing that the blaring music would keep them sleepless for days while authorities failed to curb the violations.

“Even though we are very religious, this trend of playing loud music on the roads is very uncomfortable for everyone, especially for old people,” Rajiv Gupta, RWA president Kalindi Colony said, adding that boom boxes during processions have gone up drastically in the last few years.

Arun Jaggi, 58, a resident of Friends’ Colony, said, “Not just Mathura Road, the impact can be felt till CV Raman Marg which is inside the Friends’ Colony area.”

Processions blocking the streets even during peak hours also add to the commuters’ woes. “Especially late at night, bikes without silencers making gun-shot noise have been waking up the residents and in last few days, there has been an increase in illegally modified bikes rampaging through the streets violating all traffic norms,” Mrinal Singh, general secretary of Sarita Vihar RWA said.

Meanwhile, some residents also saw an improvement this year as compared to the last Navratri processions. “Compared to previous years, this Navratri has seen significantly improved sound control, thanks to the various checkpoints on the roads. The local police’s support in ensuring a peaceful environment is appreciated,” Triveni Mahajan, RWA secretary of Friends’ Colony, said.

Notably, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) permits a maximum noise level of 55dB(A) between 6am and 10pm in residential areas. This threshold falls to 45dB(A) from 10pm till 6am. A weighted decibel — dB(A) — is a measure of how loud something sounds to the human ear. For loudspeakers, the rules mandate that at boundaries of public place where a loudspeaker or public address system is being used, the noise level should not exceed by more than 10dB(A) of the noise standards in the area or 75dB(A), whichever is lower.

Sound norms are more stringent in zones around hospitals (known as silent zones), with 50dB(A) permitted during the day and 40dB(A) after 10pm.