Activists sound alarm on silence zone proposal……….Viju B & Sanjeev Shivadekar
MUMBAI: The state is keen to push a proposal to revise areas demarcated as silence zones in the city along the lines of Delhi so that open venues like Shivaji Park do not come under the silence zone category, suspect anti-noise pollution activists.
TOI had reported this proposal on July 7, which was mooted by the state environment department after officials from the state government met union minister of environment and forest, Jairam Ramesh, who said he would look into the matter.
The newspaper has got a copy of the Delhi notification of noise rules. The state will now be able to revise over 2,000 areas, which have been demarcated as silence zone areas, according to the 2009 Bombay high court order.
A senior Mantralaya official said that the amendment was being made as the government plans to hold massive political rallies for the forthcoming municipal elections in which senior leaders from Delhi will be present. State environment minister Suresh Shetty told TOI that the union minister had asked the state environment ministry to draft a proposal. Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation said the move would only increase pollution.