Mumbai: Secretariat opens on holiday to clear noise over Ganesh mandal rules

With neither the Maharashtra state government nor Mumbai administration taking a call on noise regulations until the last minute, the Secretariat was forced to function on a holiday to issue a notification on the same.

With neither the Maharashtra state government nor Mumbai administration taking a call on noise regulations until the last minute, the Secretariat was forced to function on Monday – a holiday – to issue a notification on the same.

People take photos of a Ganesh idol being carried to the mandal for the upcoming Ganesh Utsav in Mumbai, on August 27, 2016. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

“We have received circulars from the state department, the Mumbai city collector now, and the response from suburban collectorate is expected on Tuesday. What is generally done in the beginning of the year has been sent on the first day of the festival this year,” said Naresh Dahibhavkar, president, Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS). “Owing to the report in HT, they opened Mantralaya (secretariat) on a holiday to draft the notification.”

Read | Ganesh mandals clueless about noise relaxation rules

The Maharashtra environment department on Monday issued a circular notifying mandals on which four days loudspeakers and public address systems will be allowed during the 11-day festival, hours after the Mumbai city collector relaxed noise rules for all Ganesh mandals.

Read | Ganpati mandals finally know about noise relaxation rules

Hindustan Times reported that Ganesh mandals were not aware about the days when they would be permitted to use loudspeakers beyond 10 pm. While the state environment department said the collector was supposed to issue an order, the collector cited a Bombay high court order and put the onus back on the state government.

Last month, the Bombay high court dictated its order raising concerns over increasing noise pollution and lack of enforcement of noise rules. “Notwithstanding several detailed orders by this court, there is large-scale violation of Noise Pollution Rules, especially during religious festivals,” said the division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed, during the recent hearing.

The notification identified the four immersion days – September 6, 9, 10 and 15 – as when the rules will be relaxed and loudspeakers allowed till midnight across the state. The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, bans the use of loudspeakers or public address systems from 10pm to 6am.

For full coverage on this year’s Ganesh festival, click here