It’s time for disco dandiya…till late

Restricting timing is not a solution
The 10pm deadline set by the authorities should be lifted during festivals like Navratri. We celebrate while dancing and performing puja which is not wrong in any way. We need to think maturely about the noise issues. Restricting for few hours for celebrations is not the solution to control noise pollution. Traffic produces noise too. I don’t feel it is right to restrict  any festive celebration. Majority of working people can attend garba only after 10pm. I too want to but due to the deadline I won’t be able to attend.
Dhiraj Kshatriya, Sion

Lower the volume, extend the deadline
It’s the festive season so the deadline should be extended till midnight. But if there is a law then we must respect the deadline and not flout it. The deadline is ignored by many which is not good. People should try to find a solution and amend rules. If there is a law, it can be amended after a healthy debate. However, another way to tackle it is that instead of extending the deadline we should lower the volume of the loudspeakers. I hope the government lifts the deadline for all nine days for the festival.
Gina Mascarenhas, Juhu

We pay a lot for tickets, so extend it
Navratri is a traditional festival of joy and dance, and it is only celebrated for nine nights in a year. So, the deadline should be relaxed. Also, considering the high amount of money people pay for the dandiya and garba nights, I think deadlines should be extended. It’s not a good trend to relax the deadlines, but it is understandable since it is an annual festival. Since I love the festival, I wouldn’t like a deadline, but the concerns of people getting disturbed due to the music have to be considered. Some areas may have hospitals nearby so keeping that in mind, a deadline probably needs to be adhered to.
Khyati Shah, Sion

It’s an unrealistic deadline for the city
The deadline of 10pm is really unrealistic especially in a city like ours where most of the people leave work only after  7pm. So, by the time they reach the event it is around 9pm; thus, leaving them with barely any time to soak in the fun of Navratri. While I do not agree with breaking the rules, the unrealistic deadline of 10pm forces the hand of the event organisers and crowds especially during festivals to do so. Maybe there is a need for a discussion and a compromise between the authorities and the organisers.
Shefali Mehta, Walkeshwar

The noise deadline is flouted everyday
For a couple of days, if the deadline is extended people shouldn’t mind. It is a festival which people want to celebrate till late night; therefore, it would be great if the deadline is extended for all days. In Mumbai, working people don’t reach homes before 8pm or so.  The concept of the deadline is fine, but it should be realistic. Also, there is enough noise because of traffic till almost midnight. So the deadline is actually flouted everyday in many areas. Whatever be the deadline, I am pretty much excited about going for the garba. 
Mithlesh Thukral, Andheri

Why should others suffer?
As per the new amended rules, the 10pm deadline can be relaxed for celebration for only 15 days in a year. If counted, out of these 15 days the deadline has been already relaxed for 12 days which leaves us with only three days. So, how can the deadline be relaxed or extended for all nine days of Navratri? One must understand that deadlines are set-up to control the noise level. We know that noise louder than 80 decibels is dangerous for human hearing. However, today people are becoming more conscious and understand that loud noise is not beneficial. Last year, we got positive responses as at most garba or dandiya celebrations, the noise level was only at 75-80 decibels which is equal to traffic noise pollution. But in some area like Versova, Lokhandwala and residential societies in east Mumbai people ignored it. Revellers have to understand that even if they don’t mind the loud music till late night there are others who might do.
Sumaira Abdulali, convener, AWAAZ Foundation

Location is important too
We do respect the10pm deadline which is the judgment of the court and executed by the government. We don’t continue even for a minute after the deadline. This year we are expecting approximately 40,000 people. And most of the people attending the events do want the 10pm deadline to be lifted during all days of Navratri. As we know in Mumbai people get time to celebrate only after working hours; and moreover, commuting takes a lot of time. So many people miss dandiya because they are not able to reach at venue before 10pm. There are only two days where people can celebrate after the deadline which isn’t fair. I do feel that if the government wants  then they can increase the deadline beyond 10pm by looking at the location of the area. Our venue which is Goregaon Sports Club is in a commercial area which is shut by 8:30-9pm, so even if we continue beyond 10pm no one will get affected by the music. Residential areas should be kept in mind by organisers.
Devendra Joshi, president, Sankal