Mumbai: Noise activists sceptical but hail change in thought

Despite the high court's order asking Ganpati visarjan processions to adhere to the sound limits, respite from noise pollution remains a far fetched idea this year. Activists and campaigners fighting noise pollution say decibel levels are unlikely to dip this year.

"One cannot expect a change overnight, but at least this is for the first time in 10 years that political parties are also speaking in favour of this campaign. This decision will not result in a silent festival but it will at least pave the way for a change in the mindset, marking noise in any form as something that's unpopular, and thus forcing politicians and public figures to disassociate themselves from it," said Dr Mahesh Bedekar, a Thane resident and anti-noise campaigner.

However, the ruling applies only to DJs and their sound systems, not to dhol-tashas. Bedekar said many mandals will simply turn to dhol-tashas for their processions on Sunday. And while they don't produce as much sound, some bands use amplifiers and loudspeakers as well, meaning the sound levels crossed 100dB at certain places.

Sumaira Abdulali, founder of the Aawaz Foundation NGO, said amplification of any kind is a menace. "Decibel levels will not drop much, but a difference will be felt. Dhol cannot replace DJs, and noise levels in some areas will be considerably less. It's a positive step as change can only come about gradually," Abdulali said.