Noise curbs in tatters as Mumbai celebrates Diwali
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: Diwali revellers turned most parts of Mumbai into a war zone on
Saturday, blatantly flouting a Bombay high court order banning ear-splitting
fireworks from being set off after the 10 pm noise deadline. While Delhi
celebrated its most peaceful and relatively pollution-free Diwali in three
years, many Mumbaikars complained of ear-splitting noise that disturbed
their sleep way past midnight.
Several arrests by the police served as no deterrent. At midnight,
neighbourhoods in Girgaum were the noisiest at 95.6dB, followed by Versova
(87.2dB), Sewree (82.4dB) and Kandivli (79.6dB). Juhu was the quietest
suburb with 59.7dB, followed by Matunga Parsi Colony (62.8dB).
“Overall it was quite a noisy beginning to Diwali as compared to last
year,” said Dileep Boradkar, member secretary of the Maharashtra Pollution
Control Board (MPCB). The average decibel levels in Mumbai on Saturday from
7 pm to midnight were 70-74dB compared to 65-68dB during the same time last
year, according to MPCB figures.
The post-10 pm, no-noise HC diktat,too, was violated. “At many places,
the bursting of crackers started at 10 pm, with neighbourhoods in the
western suburbs noisier than the central ones,” said Boradkar. “All
residential areas recorded decibel levels far higher than the 55 permitted
during the day and 45 at night.” Revellers had a blast even in silence
zones
Mumbai: Ladi serial crackers and sutali bombs were set off until late into
the night from Bandra to Kandivli and Dadar to Mulund, as also in Nerul,
Belapur, Kalyan-Dombivli and Thane. These bombs make a noise of more than
140dB, which far exceeds the maximum day/night decibel limits specified in
the Noise Pollution (Regulation) Rules: 55/45dB for residential, 65/55dB for
commercial, 75/70dB for industrial and 50/40dB for silence zones. Such
fireworks also flout the 125dB limit for open spaces.
For residents like Rehan Dalal, taking to the roads was no respite.
“Driving through the bylanes of Bandra (W) at 11 pm was like going through a
war zone,” said Dalal.
But those who stayed at home were worse off. “I tried watching a movie
with a friend at home on Saturday night, but couldn’t hear a word of the
film even though the volume was at the maximum level. In fact, we couldn’t
even hear each other speak,” said Poulomi Basu, a resident of Kalina.
Even silence zones, like areas near hospitals, were not spared. “I
couldn’t sleep till 12.30 am thanks to the noise, and my house is just near
Sadananda Danait Hospital,” said Vile Parle resident Ruchi Malhotra.Airport
authorities reported that crackers set off by nearby slumdwellers landed up
on airport premises. The police also had their hands full at Ghatkopar,
Vikhroli and Chembur while attending to complaints from residents. The
Bandra police arrested 25 people, Santa Cruz five and Marine Drive eight for
creating a nuisance and violating the 10 pm deadline.
Meanwhile, many groaning Mumbaikars put up with the din and didn’t call
up the cops as they didn’t want to dampen the festive spirit. Jaya Ramnath,
of Sion, who has septuagenarian parents, said, “Even though the firecrackers
were being burst at a distance from our house, the noise was so loud that we
could not sleep till late. But I guess we are used to living like this,
which is why I didn’t think about complaining to the police.”
Yashvant Oke, a noise pollution activist, said, “The police do not take
adequate action against the miscreants. Instead of charging them under the
Environment Protection Act, which treats noise pollution as a serious
offence with a fine of upto Rs 1 lakh and five years in prison, they charge
the accused under the Bombay Police Act, which treats noise pollution as yet
another petty nuisance.”