‘Silence zone’ Shivaji Park flouts HC order, records 100.1dB

MUMBAI: Noise levels on the first two days of Ganeshotsav at Shivaji Park, Dadar, which is a silence zone, was recorded at 100.1 decibels (dB), much above the permissible

MUMBAI: Noise levels on the first two days of Ganeshotsav at Shivaji Park, Dadar, which is a silence zone, was recorded at 100.1 decibels (dB), much above the permissible limits under noise rules and equivalent to the noise in a discotheque or that of a pneumatic hammer.

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A recent Bombay high court order from last month not only bans the use of loudspeakers at silence zones but even the use of drums, blowing horns, trumpets and playing of any music using sound amplifiers. Areas within a radius of 100m around hospitals, educational institutions, and courts are silence zones, where loudspeakers are not allowed to be played at all.

Anti-noise crusaders from Shivaji Park, Wecom Trust, pointed out many processions near silence zones such as Shivaji Park, JJ Hospital and opposite Chhattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) where rules were flouted.

“On Monday and Tuesday, decibel levels were at 100dB and an average of 96Db, when we took readings from 6pm onwards with the main source being drums,” said Ashok Rawat, from Wecom Trust.

“Even though the police was present, they did not take any action violating the recent Bombay HC order. They are the implementing authority but are unaware about any violations,” he added.

The high court order was made available to the public when it was released on Monday on the Bombay HC website. “Apart from prohibition on grant of license to use loudspeakers or public address systems in silence zones, there is a complete ban on beating a drum or tom tom or on blowing a horn, either musical or pressure, or trumpet or beats or sounds any instrument playing of any music, using any sound amplifiers, holding musical or other performances of a nature,” read the order passed by division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed.