MM: More than 40 per cent of Mumbai has been declared a silence zone: March 12, 2009

QUIET AN ACHIEVEMENT!

More than 40 per cent of Mumbai has been declared a silence zone …….GEETA DESAI

Citizens of the normally noisy, often raucous, Mumbai will finally have some peace and quiet, with the BMC declaring 1113 locations as ‘silence zones’ across the city. 211 zones are in South Mumbai itself (Wards A to E). Of the total 437.71 sq. km area of Mumbai, more than 40 per cent will now come under the quiet area. SILENCE ZONES ENTAIL: No honking, no bursting of fire crackers, no loudspeakers, no marriage or other processions and no loud music within the 100-metre radius of the identified locations. These locations can be educational institutions, hospitals, courts or religious places. Alert citizens are slowly coming forward with suggestions for demarcating silence zones in their areas to ensure a more peaceful life for themselves. Last week the BMC received two fresh applications. “We welcome the suggestion of citizens. An educational institution in Kandivli recently asked us to name it a silence zone, we will surely look into it,” said D S Bhujbal, deputy municipal commissioner (environment).

“We will take the help of the local police to enforce the law,” added Bhujbal.

The maximum number of silence zones are in wards like A, D, G/S, K/W, P/N, R/C, L, M/E and S. Here, the silence zones cover more than half the total area. For instance, in the A-ward, there are about 67 silence zones, which cover 7 sq kms out of its total area of 12.5 sq kms.

A SIX-YEAR BATTLE

It’s been a long battle against noise. In 2003, the Bombay High Court ordered a ban on the usage of loudspeakers in silence zones. This law was the result of a bunch of petitions filed by citizens. There was a catch, though. As Sumaira Abdulali, convenor of Awaaz Foundation, puts it, “At that time, silence zones were not identified. So the onus was on the police to implement the law.”

In 2005, Abdulali filed a second petition and the deadline of 10 pm was set for the use of loudspeakers all over the state.

Finally, on 26 February, 2009, the High Court passed the ruling regarding earmarked silence zones. This has been promptly implemented by the BMC.

SILENCE ZONES

MARINE LINES

1) S. K Jain High School 2) Gol Masjid 3) Bombay Hospital 4) J. Tata Ambulance College 5) SNDT Women’s College 6) Blossom School 7) New St. Xavier’s School 8) Boys’ High School 9) Girls’ High School 10) Bhike Behram Agyari-Parsi Bavadi 11) Hindi Vidya Bhavan 12) Sydenham College 13) Jai Hind College 14) Govt. Law College

NARIMAN POINT

15) K.C College 16) H.R College 17) St. Anne’s High School 18) Campion School 19) J. Bajaj Inst. of Management 20) R. Tata Hospital

COLABA

21) Holy Name Church 22) Holy name school 23) Kalajyot Hospital 24) Navel Inst. of Technology 25) Colaba Market Mun. School 26) Colaba Mun. School – Pri. & Sec.

CUFFE PARADE

27) G.D Somani High School 28) Zulelal mandir

FORT

29) Siddarth College 30) Convent School 31) St. Andrews Church 32) Bharda New High School 33) St. John Cathedral High School 34) Alexandra Girls’ High School 35) E.N.T Hospital 36) J.B. Petit High School 37) Cathedral & John Connon School 38) Anand Bhavan College 39) St. George Hospital 40) St. Xavier’s High School 41) Elphinston Technical High School 42) Small cause Court (Jn Kalbadevi Road) 43) Lord Harris School 44) G.T Hospital 45) St. Xavier’s college 46) Cama Hospital 47) Ch. Metropolitian Magistrate Court 48) Anjuman-e-Islam High School 49) J.J School of Arts 50) Mun. School 51) Mun. School 52) Bai Kavibai School 53) Mosque 54) J.J School 55) Mosque 56) Agyari 57) Jain Temple 58) Jain Temple 59) Asiatic Central Library 60) St. Thomas Cathedral Church 61) St. Andrew’s Church 62) Jewish temple 63) Agyari 64) Parsi Panchyat College 65) Agyari 66) Mumbai University, Court 67) High Court (City Civil Court)

B WARD

68) J.J Hospital 69) St. Joseph High School / Habib Hospital 70) Fazlani School 71) Kambekar Municipal School 72) J. R Muncipal School 73) Saboo Siddique Hospital 74) Janabai Rokde School 75) Dongri Muncipal School 76) Dawood Fazalbhai School 77) Saifi School 78) Jain Kanya School

C WARD

79) Chandan wadi Municipal School 80) Little Flower of Jesus High School 81) Our lady of Dolour High School 82) Dances of India High School 83) Barretto High School 84) Marwadi commercial high school & Junior College 85) St. Anne’s girls high school 86) St. Sebastian Goan High School 87) Student Literary & Scientific So. Girls’ High School 88) Prabhu Seminary High School 89) Workers’ Education So. G.A Rande High School 90) Maratha mandir thakurdwar high school 91) Walli bai Gujarathi high school 92) Balika vidyalay 93) Gulalwadi Prathamik Shala 94) Durgadevi Municipal School 95) Taiye Biyah Girls’ High School 96) Mohhamadiya High School 97) 1st Panjarapole Municipal High School 98) 3rd Panjarapole Municipal High School 99) Guzar Street Municipal Urdu School 100) Sindhi Galli Municipal School 101) Islampura Municipal Urdu School 102) Mumbadevi Municipal School

LIST OF HOSPITALS IN C WARD

103) Suryakant Wagal Hospital 104) Gandhi Memorial Hospital 105) T.B Hospital 106) D.S Kothari Hospital

LIST OF COURTS IN C WARD

107) Small Causes Court

LIST OF CEMETERIES IN

C WARD

108) Bada Kabrastan 109) Hindu cemetery 110) Electric cemetery

D WARD

111) Breach Candy Hospital 112) Green Lawn High School 113) Parsi General Hospital 114) Sophia college 115) Palm Beach school 116) Elizabeth Hospital 117) Walsinghan School 118) Bangagana Mun School 119) Activity School 120) Villa Teressa School 121) Jaslok Hospital 122) Dalvi Hospital 123) Bombay International School 124) Bhawan’s College 125) Willson college 126) Purandare Hospital 127) Fellowship school 128) Girton High school 129) Bhatia Hospital 130) Bhausaheb Hirey Vidyalaya 131) Cambala Hill Hospital 132) Saifee Hospital 133) Hinduja College 134) Jain Hospital 135) Chandaramji School 136) Chikitsak School 137) Ruia Girls College 138) Sova Sadan School 139) Cama Montessory School 140) New Era School 141) Mahalaxmi Mun School 142) St. Colambo School 143) Bane comp. Mun School 144) Arya Nagar Mun. School 145) Yusuf Meher Ali School 146) Mun. School Gilder Lane 147) Mun. School KK Marg 148) B.R Pandey school 149) J.S.S Road Mun. School 150) Girgaon Court 151) Harkisan Das Hospital 152) Marwadi Vidyalaya 153) Navyug School 154) Wilson school 155) Sahakar Vidyalaya & Blind School 156) Mun. School 157) Sardar School 158) Mun. School No.5 159) Robert Money School 160) Municipal School 161) Muncipal School, Topiwala Lane 162) Birla School 163) Sarswati Mandir 164) Lady Engineer School

E WARD

165) St. Mary Engilsh School 166) Burhani Collage Balwant Singh Dhodi Marg 167) Diamond Jubilee High School 168) Ezabella Eng. Girls School 169) St. Gloria Eng. School 170) St. Peter Eng Primary School 171) Mun. Primary Marathi School 172) St. Mary Convent school 173) Diamond Jubilee High School 174) Tarwadi Mun. Upper primary Marathi school 175) Prince Ali Khan Hospital 176) Masina Hospital 177) Mazagaon Court 178) Rezin p School 179) Sir, Elliya Kadari School & College 180) St. Peter Engildh (I.C.I.C) School 181) Wadi Bunder Mun. Urdu School 182) Mazagaon Tadwadi Eng School, St. Agnes School primary 183) Mazagaon Tadwadi Hindi medium School 184) Mazagaon Tadwadi Marathi medium School (primary) 185) Bombay Institute of Deaf & Mutes 186) Mazagaon Mun. Urdu & Marathi School near Pedar Market 187) Sir J.J Hospital 188) Sabu siddiqu School 189) Christ Church School 190) St. Agnest High School 191) Secret Heart High School 192) Al Mornin High School 193) Barkal Al High School 194) Municipal Urdu School 195) Sushanti School (Church) 196) Municipal Marathi School 197) Lucky High School 198) Sawtar Street Urdu School 199) Municipal Urdu School 200) Municipal Urdu School 201) Municipal School 202) SE’s Day School (Handicap) 203) Salavge Army School 204) Mohammad Umar Razzab Mun. School 205) Anjuman Urdu High School 206) Municipal School, 5th Kamathipura 207) Municipal School 208) Akbar Peerbhai Collage 209) St. Anthony School 210) Nair Hospital 211) Jagjivanram Hospital 212) Muncipal Eye Hospital 213) Gaurabai Hospital

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