Monday Musings: Hue and cry over sound pollution falls on deaf ears

Doctors on multiple occasions have already warned that spending too much time near loudspeakers generating high-decibel volume can lead to a range of health issues, including cardiac trouble, sleep disturbance and hearing loss

Earlier last week, a senior citizen’s act landed him into legal trouble although for many, it was much needed. Satyabir Banga, a resident of Kondhwa, was so irritated by the high-decibel sound coming from a wedding ceremony venue that he lost patience and entered the place without authorisation and broke wires, machines, and speakers. It caused the sound system operator loss of ₹10 lakh, according to the first information report (FIR) filed against Banga, days after the incident took place in the Kondhwa Khurd area of Pune on March 8.

As reported in HT Pune edition on Saturday, a wedding function was held at the ballroom of a private resort and club situated in Kondhwa. Banga, who resides next to the resort, was irked by the ear-splitting music. He gained access to the resort without seeking permission, entered the ballroom, pulled and cut wires, damaging the sound system, including a LED laptop. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

As reported in HT Pune edition on Saturday, a wedding function was held at the ballroom of a private resort and club situated in Kondhwa. Banga, who resides next to the resort, was irked by the ear-splitting music. He gained access to the resort without seeking permission, entered the ballroom, pulled and cut wires, damaging the sound system, including a LED laptop.

The high-decibel noise is something many of us face on regular basis. Be is anniversaries of prominent personalities, festivals, religious programmes, or private parties, the sound from loudspeakers, far exceeding normal decibel levels prescribed by environmental watchdogs, has been a pain for many.

Doctors on multiple occasions have already warned that spending too much time near loudspeakers generating high-decibel volume can lead to a range of health issues, including cardiac trouble, sleep disturbance and hearing loss. In fact, medical experts have cautioned that noise pollution, in addition to air pollution, can contribute to increased incidence of hypertension (high blood pressure) among vulnerable citizens and babies who too are at risk.

Such a noise, as per doctors, has a physiological and psychological impact on health, irrespective of celebrations. Apart from deafness, it causes high blood pressure which in turn may lead to heart attacks or brain strokes.

Despite all these dangers, police have largely been mute spectators in the past. When the Ganpati festival of 2022 was the nosiest since past few years, there was hardly any action taken against Ganesh mandals. According to Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and College of Engineering Pune (COEP), the average sound level obtained from 10 locations in the city on the last day of festival was 105.2 dB (decibel) as compared to 86.2 dB (2019), 90.4 dB (2018) and 90.9 dB (2017). This was way beyond the permissible limit of 65 dB at commercial areas. Yet no action was seen on the ground.

Instances where action has been taken in the past, political pressure and elections have prompted rulers to withdraw them.

A number of citizen forum across the city have already openly voiced their concern regarding their pleas being ignored by the police department. Besides the jarring music, residents have been irked by the ear-splitting noise from bikes with modified silencers, honking bikers, vehicles noise, road work noise and a host of other sound pollution, which according to them has made the city night boisterous and unbearable for citizens.

The residents of Kalyani Nagar have urged the police to act against loudspeaker nuisance in various areas. Major pubs and bars are operating loudspeakers after midnight and flouting 10 pm deadline, the residents said.

The eastern suburb of Mohammadwadi which is burgeoning hub for youngsters frequenting various entertainment joints has been in the social media limelight with a number of residents complaining about music at restaurants disturbing peace and sleep. The citizens had publicly shared videos of the deafening silencer noise of bike riders during night and tweeted them to the traffic police and city commissioner requesting action, as reported in the paper.

Banga’s action amounted to violation of law for which he is facing FIR. However, if the police act in time, citizens will not be forced to take the law into their own hands.

Yogesh Joshi can be contacted at yogesh.joshi@htlive.com