Taking a stern view of rising noise pollution caused by modified silencers and illegal hooters, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has summoned the Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) and the transport commissioner to appear via video conferencing on April 2.
The court directed the officers to explain the steps taken over the past five years to curb the manufacture and sale of modified silencers and pressure horns, and to file detailed affidavits before the next hearing.
A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary passed the order on March 16 while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) registered suo motu in 2021 on the issue of noise pollution. The court has issued several directions in the past to check the manufacture and sale of such devices.
Expressing concern over the alleged inaction of authorities, the bench noted that despite earlier directions to constitute a joint committee of the departments concerned, the state government’s counsel could not confirm whether such a panel had been formed.
The court observed that loud noise from modified silencers and hooters is frequently heard even at midnight, causing inconvenience to the public. It said the primary responsibility to curb such violations lies with the home and transport departments, and warned that stricter directions may follow if effective measures are not taken promptly.
