Revellers, disc jockeys and audio associations are in a fix after the Bombay High Court reserved its order on granting them permission to play loud music during Ganpati Visarjan. Many worry that DJs and their equipment will remain grounded and not be allowed to belt out songs during Ganesh immersion.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

"We argued in the court. The state showed positive intent and noted that DJs will have to stay off to try and keep sound-levels in check," said Dr Mahesh Bedekar, the anti-noise petitioner. "There is a ban on paper, but the police isn't taking any action against those who continue to use DJs and Dolby sound systems," he said. While observing that the sound levels recorded this year haven't seen a dip compared to the previous year, Bedekar noted that implementation of the court order by the police was questionable.

The DJ and sound suppliers industry is still adamant that it deserves a fair chance. "The sound norms were set in 1986. The ambient noise has increased since then. The rules need to be revised and sound levels regulated. We have maintained that with the sound system, the volume is controllable. You can't control the sound of many dhols playing together. We are against noise not music," said Zura Braganza, treasurer, Professional Audio and Lighting Association.