High court criticises state on silent zones

“Why not declare the whole of Mumbai as silence zone?” asked the Bombay High Court on Thursday on the apathetic approach of the state government to noise pollution, reports HT Correspondent.

“Why not declare the whole of Mumbai as silence zone?” asked the Bombay High Court on Thursday on the apathetic approach of the state government to noise pollution.

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“Government officers should apply their mind before declaring silence zones,” added the division bench of Chief Justice Swatenter Kumar and Justice Ajay Khanwilkar.

The court was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations seeking strict implementation of noise pollution regulations in the city.

The comment came after the an affidavit filed before the court stated that areas around 100 meters around schools and colleges, courts, hospitals and religious places across the state were declared silent zones.

Medha Gadgil, principal secretary, home, has claimed in the affidavit that noise levels have consecutively decreased in the last three years during festivals. The affidavit adds that the police in Maharashtra are still short of 646 noise level meters.