88.4dB noise was recorded at Shivaji Park on Thursday, breaching the prescribed 55dB mark
Anti-noise pollution activists are up in arms alleging that, like each year, Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally held at Shivaji Park on Thursday yet again violated the permissible noise limits. The activists have been already fighting against BMC for not including Shivaji Park in its list of 110 silence zone. However, police officials claim the noise levels were taken and the average readings were not found in violation.
As per the data of Awaaz Foundation, during the rally, the maximum decibels (dB) recorded on Thursday was 88.4dB, which was lower than the maximum noise levels of 2017 (92 dB) yet it violated the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, which state that noise levels in residential zone should not exceed 55 dB. However as per the Bombay HC order, police has to file a complaint if the noise levels exceed 65 dB.
The maximum noise level of 88.4 dB was recorded during Sanjay Raut’s speech. While Sena President Uddhav Thackeray’s speech was between 80dB to 86.9dB. As per anti-noise pollution crusader Sumaira Abdulali who is also the Convenor of Awaaz Foundation most of the times cops take the average of the noise level readings, which can ambiguous at times as a lot of factors can, end up influencing the readings. “One cannot dismiss the peak noise levels as studies have shown that it impacts health,” she said.
“Shivaji Park might not be a silence zone since 2017 but the noise capping of residential area still holds,” stated Abdulali. She will send her report to chief minister as well as the police commissioner.
Additional Commissioner of Police, Central region, Ravindra Shisve said that the police teams present on spot records the noise levels to ensure that the levels don’t exceed the prescribed levels.
State granted permission in ’16
In a government resolution dated January 20, 2016, the state government allowed holding of Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park. Accordingly, it allowed organisers (Shiv Sena party members) to approach the Municipal Corporation and other authorities like police, to get permission to hold the rally.
Till, then every year party leaders had to approach the Bombay High Court, which gave conditional permission as there was a petition pending seeking strict implementation of silence zone. In 2010, Shivaji park was notified as silence zone. Recently, the government notified 110 areas as a silence zone, in which Shivaji park was not notified. Powers for notifying silence zones were delegated to State government.
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