Preliminary Report on Navratri noise levels- October 10, 2005

Dear Mr Roy,

My ‘plush bungalow’ has yielded the data contained in
the following report on noise levels during the Navratri
Festival.

The report was faxed to Shri R R Patil and to yourself
yesterday and is also being sent by Courier for your
records.

Please note that all readings contained in this Report
are recorded personally by the undersigned. In
addition, readings at other sites taken by other
volunteers will be available in a day or two and will
be sent to you separately.

With regards

Sumaira Abdulali

Preliminary Report on Navratri 2005

The Government of Maharashtra has expressed it’s joy in it’s successful intervention, along with the Government of Gujarat, in the Supreme Court. Jointly, they succeeded in getting 15 days a year extension for loudspeaker use until midnight, at least for now. This extension is valid until the Supreme Court finally decides the validity of the Notification allowing it on 24^th October.

In the meantime, their joy find expression on the ground, in the form of loudspeakers from Navratri mandals and masjids (which were used at lower volumes and only until 10 pm) before the Statement of Shri R R Patil, Deputy Chief Minister, announcing relaxation of time limits without issuing any simultaneous clarification that there would be no relaxation of decibel levels.

The same masjids which had agreed to give up use of loudspeakers for early morning azaan and which had actually stopped using loudspeakers have started using firecrackers to wake up people, in some cases at 4am, and defiantly use loudspeakers in others. They are planning to approach the Supreme Court for relaxation of Noise Rules in the early morning hours, as they feel that the relaxation upto midnight discriminates against them.

The Ganpati mandals who co operated and helped the police ensure a quiet Ganesh Festival feel discriminated against.

The Navratri mandals  blare loudspeakers until midnight without any attempt to moderate decibel levels, beginning their programs close to the time they would have otherwise been ending them.

All this, in the short space of a few days, reversing (hopefully only until the Court clarifies the actual legal position on 24^th October) all the benefits to the citizens which they strived for and achieved with a sense of collective relief at Ganpati.

This sequence began with the Statements of the Government before Ganpati that the Police would face a law and Order problem if the Supreme Court Order was enforced. They then played the divide and rule policy by stating that the sentiments of certain sections of the community would be hurt. These were variably the sentiments of the majority and minority communities. When both cooperated to ensure a peaceful Ganpati and by stating that they would discontinue the use of loudspeakers for early morning azaan respectively, there was nothing left to do but tag onto the Gujarat Government’s Intervention application.

The results of these politically motivated policies were clear last night, with the non co operation of Police at the Control Room in registering complaints and the complete lack of control over decibel levels until midnight.

On 6^th October (where the 10 pm deadline applied) loudspeakers were switched off at 10 pm and decibel levels mostly did not exceed 80 dB in places where ambient levels without loudspeakers were about 75 dB.

On 8^th October 2005 (where the 12.00 midnight deadline applied) there were violations even between 12 pm and 6 am, particularly at masjids, and decibel levels were much higher after 10 pm. The Police also did not co operate in taking complaints at their Control Room to lower the decibel levels:

On 9^th October (until midnight):

These are readings taken personally by me. Readings taken by other volunteers will be available in a day or two. On 9^th October, I received numerous phone calls complaining of high decibel levels and complaining that the Police Control Room refused to take action as loudspeakers were ‘allowed’ till midnight. After 10.30 pm, the Control Room did not respond to telephone calls either. The phone remained busy or was answered and disconnected immediately. No complaints were possible after 10.30 on due to this. I personally tried to call 103 about 15 times without response. I got through to 100 but was given a very unsatisfactory response, which started by telling me that since it was allowed until midnight, I should not call the Police before that time and that no complaint number could be given. This changed after some insistence and a complaint number was given, but without guarantee of any type of action beyond sending a van in due course.

The situation today is an about-turn from the competence displayed by the Police to contain noise levels during Ganpati for which they received the complements and gratitude of citizens.  The citizens of Mumbai hold the political bosses, who have put their political compulsions above the needs of citizens, directly accountable for their present sufferings.