Pune: Activists and members of civil society have demanded stricter and long-term measures to curb noise pollution during Ganeshotsav immersion processions, arguing that repeated violations of prescribed decibel limits show that appeals, warnings and monitoring alone have failed to address the problem.Anti-noise pollution crusader and Peth resident Vidyanand Bapat, who has been vocal on the issue in recent weeks, on Sunday said monitoring of noise levels has proved to not be a solution, calling for stricter regulations similar to those enforced past the night deadline.“There was complete silence and sound norms were followed between 12am and 6am during the visarjan procession this year. This shows that strict regulation, like the ones in place at night, can be implemented to curb noise pollution,” Bapat said. He added that widespread sound norm violations as part of the processions during the rest of the day indicated that the existing regulations were inadequate.Bapat further said his campaign against noise pollution would continue beyond Ganeshotsav and not be limited to any particular festival.Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch also questioned the effectiveness of enforcement, alleging that cases registered against noise violators are sometimes withdrawn later due to political pressure. He said, “This trend has created a perception that violations will not invite sustained action. So, they continue.”In a letter to Pune city commissioner of police (CP) Amitesh Kumar, Velankar said complaints received by the police and noise readings recorded during the two days of immersion should be used to initiate action against violators. “All such cases should be registered within a week and it is important that these cases be filed in court within a month,” Velankar said.According to him, police may have refrained from taking immediate action during the processions to avoid law-and-order problems, which might be understandable. However, he warned that failure to act against violators after the festival would simply encourage similar violations every year.BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, who has also raised the issue of noise pollution, urged Ganesh mandals to conclude their processions early and avoid DJ and loud music speaker systems.“Excessive noise from speaker systems, which crosses all limits during immersion processions, is severely distressing for patients, elderly citizens and even ordinary folks,” Kulkarni said in a post on X. She urged mandals to “preserve the sanctity of the festival, impose limits on noise, and complete the immersion processions as quickly as possible”.According to noise monitoring data shared by College of Engineering Pune Technological University (CoEPTU), an average noise level of 104.4dB was recorded during the immersion processions in Pune this year, with levels reaching up to 115.4dB at some locations during evening hours.CP Kumar, however, said the overall noise levels were lower compared to previous years. He claimed the police monitored noise levels at 100 locations and would initiate action against violators based on the readings.“We have received feedback from citizens that noise levels were reduced compared to the previous year. I do not say that there was 100% compliance, but those who did not comply with the norms will face action,” Kumar said.Kumar said several Ganesh mandals had made efforts to comply with noise norms and expressed hope that the situation would improve further. He also said there was a need for consensus among Ganesh mandals and other stakeholders on ending immersion processions earlier. “Pune has a tradition that has been followed for years. There is a need for common consent among all Ganesh mandals and related stakeholders to end the procession early. Discussions on this will be held in the future,” he said.Acknowledging that large-scale celebrations can inconvenience citizens, Kumar said the administration would have to balance public convenience with the sentiments associated with the festival.“Common people do face problems due to the festival, but we have to move forward taking into consideration the sentiments of all,” he said, expressing regret on behalf of the police department to those who were inconvenienced.
