Pollution, emphasized the need for greater awareness
and education of citizens who are affected by high
noise levels in urban areas and of the authorities
empowered to implement the Noise Rules.
It is essential that the Police fulfill their duties
to contain noise levels and that all of us ensure that
their hands are strengthened to be able to do so by
making our selves heard and insisting on our right to
be protected from âaural aggressionâ â an apt
expression of the harmful effects of excessive noise
quoted from the Supreme Court Order. There are
important health related reasons to do so.
Information from a Right to Information application
reveals that a number of complaints received by the
Police Control Room during the Ambedkar Jayanti
celebrations in April 2005 were complaints of noise
levels exceeding permissible limits at places where
the Police had granted permission for loudspeaker use.
In spite of the complaints received, the Police took
no action to cancel the loudspeaker permissions at
those locations for the remaining days of the
celebration, which lasted 3 days in all.
There is reason for concern about the implementation
of the Supreme Court Order during the festival season
ahead, which begins with the Ganesh Festival.
We have monitored noise levels at festivals in Mumbai
since 2003. This year, we intend to monitor
loudspeaker permissions given by the Police throughout
the city and to compare them with complaints from
citizens received by the Police.
Citizens affected by high noise levels should make
their complaints at the Police Control Room numbers
100 and 103 and should insist on receiving a Complaint
Number so that their complaint is recorded in the
Police Register and a comparison between high noise
levels and police permissions is made possible.
The booklet published by the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad
informs citizens of their rights and responsibilities
to ensure a noise free environment and should be
widely distributed to ensure that citizens and
authorities have a fuller understanding, both of their
rights and responsibilities, especially during the
festival season.
Sumaira Abdulali
Awaaz Foundation
sumairaabdulali@yahoo.com
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Reply from: Kush” <kushkaran@fastmail.fm :-
I wish to inform all that the booklet published by “Marathi Vidnyan
Parishad” titled “Our Society and Noise Pollution” is available at the MVP
office for Rs. 20 /
– This booklet gives information on all aspects of noise pollution and
the laws governing if’s control. Also of their rights and responsibilities
to ensure a noise free environment and how the common man could play his
part in curbing this “aural aggression”.
Vidnyan Bhavan
V N Puvar Marg,
Sion-Chunabhatti,
Mumbai – 400022.
Ph – 25224714 / 25226268
Contact:- Dr Vishnu M Vaidya.
Time :- 10:30 am to 5 pm. on working days