Nagpur: With the festive season set to begin with Ganeshotsav, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur police have strengthened the noise pollution grievance redressal mechanism through the launch of the ‘Noise Free Nagpur’ portal on Wednesday.The portal cuts complaint response time from three hours to 30 minutes and allows citizens to report and track complaints while seeking swift action. Developed by NMC IT officer Swapnil Lokhande, it has been jointly implemented by the civic body and police following directions from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.Under the new system, a complaint is automatically routed to the police inspector (PI) of the concerned station. If no action is taken within 30 minutes, it is escalated to the assistant commissioner of police (ACP), and subsequently to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP). The portal also offers zone-wise routing, with further escalation available to senior officials.Citizens can lodge complaints against DJs, loudspeakers, public events, unnecessary honking, modified silencers, construction and drilling, machinery, generators, and firecrackers, as well as report violations during the night-time silence period between 10pm and 6am.The portal is designed to make complaints more traceable and enforcement more accountable. Users can enter the location, source, time and description of a violation, and upload photographs, videos or audio recordings. A live decibel meter allows them to record sound levels, while each complaint carries a timestamp and GPS location for tracking via a reference number.Accessible at noisefreenagpur.in, the portal offers separate options to file and track complaints, along with Marathi and English guides. Complaints can be filed round-the-clock via mobile phone, tablet or computer, with an option for anonymous reporting.The initiative comes amid recurring concerns over excessive DJ and loudspeaker noise during religious processions and public celebrations. Officials said the portal aims to give citizens a simple, free and time-bound mechanism to report violations. Complaints found to be false upon spot verification will be closed as “Fake.”HOW TO FILE A NOISE COMPLAINT Visit: noisefreenagpur.in Register/login and select “File a Complaint”. Enter the exact location, time and details of the noise source. Select the type of violation — DJ/loudspeaker, firecrackers, honking, modified silencer, construction/drilling, generator, machinery, etc. Upload evidence if available — photo, video or audio recording. Use the Live Decibel Meter to record the approximate sound level, where possible. Submit the complaint. It is automatically routed to the jurisdictional police station/PI. The complaint has a 30-minute SLA. If action is not taken, it is automatically escalated from PI → ACP → DCP. Save the complaint/reference number and use “Track a Complaint” to monitor its status. The system is available 24×7, and an anonymous complaint option is also available.
