sound-emitting firecrackers would not be permitted between 10 pm and 6 am
during Diwali.
Hearing a public interest litigation filed by city resident Gaurang
Vohra seeking curbs on noise levels during festivals, a division bench of
Justices H L Gokhale and J P Devadhar ordered the state and the police to
ensure that crackers were not burst after 10 pm.
The ban will cover Dhanteras and Lakshmi pooja days too despite the
state earlier extending the noise ban deadline to midnight on the two days.
However, noiseless light-emitting firecrackers have been excluded from the
ban. TNN Loudspeakers exempted, not firecrackers
Mumbai: A resident had filed a PIL in the HC seeking implementation of the
Noise Pollution (Regulation) Rules 2000 during Diwali.
The rules lay down the maximum day/night decibel levels for different
designated areas-residential zones (55 db/45 db), commercial (65 db/55 db),
industrial (75 db/70 db) and silence zones (50 db/40 db).
Earlier, the Centre had allowed states to designate 15 days in a year
for various festivals during which the ban on noise levels could be relaxed
till 12 midnight. The petitioner’s counsel, however, contended that on the
15 exempted days, the relaxation was only applicable to loudspeakers and
musical instruments, not firecrackers.
Assistant government pleader Niranjan Pandit argued that the relaxation
covered noise from any source, loudspeakers or firecrackers. Pandit further
pointed out that during Diwali, it was cultural and religious tradition to
burst crackers. Not agreeing with him, the court pointed to the apex court’s
orders forbidding bursting of firecrackers between 10 pm and 6 am.
The court will take up the matter for hearing on October 13, when it
will hear arguments for regulating manufacture of crackers. TNN
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