Boombox nightmare grips streets of Delhi-NCR

Residents living along the routes of Navratri processions complained that they were unable to sleep the past two nights due to the pandemonium on the streets

Residents across Delhi spent the last few nights suffering as Navratri processions, accompanied by trucks and tractors carrying stacks of loudspeakers, blared devotional music at deafening levels and blinding disco lights deep into the night, with little police intervention, despite violating a raft of rules.

Revellers blare loud music during a procession ahead of Navratri at Sarai Kale Khan on Wednesday. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Residents living along the routes of these processions complained that they were unable to sleep the past two nights due to the pandemonium on the streets, and said that they could hear doors and windows rattling till at least 3am.

The processions, which occupied key routes such as Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and even expressways in NCR towns, and had dozens of revellers dancing around them, occupied several lanes on the roads and caused serpentine jams.

“The resurgence of high-volume boom boxes during Navaratri is indeed a significant concern for all residents, especially senior citizens. The sudden and continuous noise disrupts sleep and causes intense vibrations in homes,” said Triveni Mahajan from Friends Colony RWA.

She stressed that it’s crucial that authorities find a way to balance festivities with the peace of residents. “We have raised these issues with local authorities and have requested police to implement barricades on Mathura Road to curb this misuse. It’s crucial to find a balance between celebrating cultural traditions and ensuring a peaceful environment for all residents,” Mahajan said.

Delhi Police officers did not respond to HT’s queries for a comment in the matter.

Delhi Police disallows the use of loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am, with strict caps on volume levels, especially in residential areas, during the rest of the day.

In residential areas, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) permits a maximum noise level of 55dB(A) between 6am and 10pm. This threshold falls to 45dB(A) from 10pm till 6am, when the use of loudspeakers is banned. Db(A), or a weighted decibel, is a measure of how loud something sounds to the human ear.

For loudspeakers, the rules mandate that the noise level at the boundary of the location where a loudspeaker is being used not exceed by more than 10dB(A) the noise standards for the area. Norms are even more stringent in zones around hospitals (known as silent zones), with 50dB(A) permitted during the day and 40dB(A) beyond 10pm. But even the sections of Mathura Road, with several hospitals located, have not been spared.

Furthermore, these rules have found little application on the ground, with processions openly flouting all restrictions – especially with authorities appearing reluctant to act against violators. This meant the past two nights have been an agonising experience for residents of these regions, especially Maharani Bagh, Friends Colony, Kalkaji, Okhla, CR Park, Panchsheel Park and Mayur Vihar, among several others.

Some residents said that the noise levels were so disturbing that people stayed up most of the night.

“Senior citizens find noise particularly disturbing and unnerving… While we encourage everyone to celebrate, please keep noise levels to a minimum, especially during early morning and late evening hours, to maintain peace for all, including those observing fasts or prayers,” said Shiv Mehra, president of Maharani Bagh RWA.

He added that everyone needed to be mindful of the different ways in which our community celebrates Navratri, whether through fasting, prayers, or quiet reflection. “Let us foster a spirit of inclusivity and understanding during this sacred time,” Mehra said.

Traffic, and blinding lights

Not just loud music, these congregations also affected traffic along the major roads in the affected area and had a new addition – strobing disco lights, which blinded motorists.

“These groups gather and dance along roads that block traffic. In many parts of south Delhi, residents face congestion as smooth traffic is halted during such events. Even those who want to be home for the festival end up being stuck for hours on the road,” said Chetan Sharma, resident of Vasant Kunj and founder and general secretary of Confederation of RWAs.

“Boom boxes with blaring music and modification of vehicles are not allowed according to the Motor Vehicle Act. Special permission can be taken from the police for some events but even in such cases, the noise levels cannot go beyond the permissible limits. For most of these events and processions, no permission is taken, and action can be taken against them,” said a transport department official.

The problem was not just limited to the capital but extended to NCR cities as well.

A train of processions blocked traffic along the entire stretch of Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Those walking with these processions danced and jaywalked criss-crossing heavy traffic of the expressway in Noida, with men holding large sticks often seen threatening motorists to stay away.

Brajesh Sharma, a resident of Sector 78, Noida, said, “On Wednesday I spotted processions around three to four places in Noida. These processions, majorly, affected traffic as they moved with a group of 30 to 40 people who blocked the entire road. Apart from the traffic issue, they play loud music that nearly shakes the ground near the vehicle,” said Sharma,

Devotees on motorcycles, open-top jeeps and small trucks were seen ignoring traffic norms. Several motorcycles seated four riders, with few helmets in sight.

Another resident, Akash Vashist, a resident of Sector 20, said, “On Wednesday, when I was returning from Greater Noida using the Noida Greater-Noida Expressway, I found that people with a group of 10 to 20 or 50 were moving with a large or small procession… On the pretext of religious activity, they play live music and use dangerous laser lights. Officials should regularise all this type of nuisance by conducting meetings with their organisers, as they are already distributing traffic, but it can lead to fatal accidents also.”

Gautam Budh Nagar, joint commissioner of police, Shivhari Meena, said, “We have conducted multiple meetings with the organizers of ‘Samitis’ and asked them to follow the law and order and also advised them to not create nuisance during the festival. They have also signed bonds to follow the law and order.”

According to regulations, people responsible for using loudspeakers at volumes beyond the permitted limit can be fined ₹10,000. Importantly, these fines are all compounding, which means repeat offenders will be penalised significantly heavier amounts, going up to ₹5 lakh.