Noise pollution complaints up in Delhi as festive season kicks in

Between September 19 and 25 this year, the Delhi Police received over 300 complaints from city residents complaining of noise pollution, but action was taken only on two of those instances, showed data from the force, underlining the lack of administrative will among enforcement authorities in the Capital to take on the torment caused by loudspeakers during the festive season, when their illicit use hits a crescendo.Several residents HT spoke to said the annual problem makes it impossible to sleep for several nights in a row, a span they said often stretched till Diwali in late October or early November. A 61-year-old resident of east Delhi’s IP Extension, for instance, said he and his family often move to quieter areas -- hotels or the homes of friends and family -- to escape the cacophony. “We are sick and tired of noise pollution in our area... For the last four nights, trucks with loudspeakers blaring music have been crossing NH-24 close to our house and I haven’t slept. It is causing mental health issues because the pounding runs late into the night. Before the pandemic, we even shifted to hotels and friends’ places because of this nuisance,” the resident said on Monday, adding that he has met six district commissioners in the last few years to complain about the matter.A similar problem ails residents of south Delhi. A 29-year-old resident of Saket, who often works late-night shifts, said she finds it difficult to concentrate, thanks to the sound from pandals and processions nearby.“It’s impossible to adjust at night, and the sounds, which blare past 12pm, leave numbing headaches,” she said.While senior officers of the Delhi Police said all such reports were taken seriously, the claims were undercut by the their own numbers.The police received 409 calls reporting instances of noise pollution over the previous week, of which 41 were repeats, while the speakers were turned off before the police reached in 58 cases. Of the remaining 310 calls, the police acted on two, while action is pending in one instance. More than half the calls were about noise levels breached after 10pm, beyond which loudspeakers can’t be used, according to Delhi Police rules.In residential areas, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) permits a maximum noise level of 55dB(A) between 6am and 10pm, a threshold that falls to 45dB(A) from 10pm till 6am. The limits are even stricter for areas around hospitals, known as “silent zones”. Event organisers, though, barely ever stick to these norms, which are outlined as part of the conditions they must meet to receive a no-objection certificate from the police.A Delhi Police officer working with the noise pollution helpline — 155271 — said they have been receiving 10-15 calls every day, a number likely to hit 200, or more, as a greater number of pandals come up across the city.The rules are, however, enforced sparingly, said residents across the city.Atul Goyal, of the United RWAs Joint Action (URJA), an umbrella body of residents’ welfare associations in the city, said while rules lay down conditions such as the permitted noise levels, and the timings during which loudspeakers could be played, enforcement is generally lacking.“Everyone has their sentiments about religious functions, but loudspeakers should only be allowed till 10pm or 10.30pm. After this, it becomes a problem. If an organiser is allowed to get away with such violations, then it becomes an example for others as well,” said Goyal.Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Harsha Vardhan said he held a meeting with the organisers of the festive events in the district and briefed them about the rules and regulations.“They were informed that there is no exemption to religious events, and they will have to shut the loudspeakers off at or before 10pm. Beat officers also keep a check and we take action when we get a call regarding noise in the area,” he said.But the lived experiences of the city’s residents in several parts of the city tell a different story.