Mohali DC constitutes thana-level teams to combat noise pollution menace

Mohali, December 2

In view of the increased instances of various sources leading to noise pollution, the Mohali administration has taken a serious note of the violations of orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

DC Aashika Jain said a committee comprising senior officials of the departments concerned had been constituted at the district and subdivision level to keep a check on the violations.

There would be regular checks by police teams during early morning hours, the DC added. Violations and the corresponding actions taken would be reported by the nodal officers, PPCB SDOs on a daily basis.

Jain said monthly reviews of the progress of activities for the control of noise pollution would also be carried out. Orders under Section 144 of the IPC would be issued during the examinations of school students. Necessary permissions for the use of loudspeakers shall be monitored and issued as per permissible levels and zones, the DC added.

No loudspeaker or public address system shall be used by any person, including religious bodies in temples, mosques and gurdwaras without written permission of the authorities even during daytime. Loudspeakers, public address systems, musical instruments and sound amplifiers shall not be played during the night except in auditoriums, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls. Loudspeakers or public address systems shall not be used between 10 pm and 6 am, except between 10 pm and midnight during any cultural or religious festive occasion of a limited duration not exceeding 15 days in all during a calendar year.

Even in that case, the noise level shall not exceed 10 dB above the ambient noise standards for the area. No loudspeakers shall be permitted 15 days before the annual examinations and during the course of examinations, the DC said.

The peripheral noise level of a privately owned sound system or a sound producing instrument shall not, at the boundary of the private place, exceed by more than 5dB.

The district police will ensure that no horn shall be blown in silence zones or during the night between 10 pm and 6 am in residential areas. No sound emitting construction equipment shall be used or operated during the night time between 10 pm to 6 am in residential areas or silence zones.

It should also be ensured that motorcycles are duly fitted with silencers to avoid the menace of noise pollution. Pressure horns are already banned throughout the state. Violators shall be penalised under the Rule 6 of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, DC Jain said.

The restrictions in place

• No loudspeaker or public address system shall be used by any person, including religious bodies in temples, mosques and gurdwaras without written permission of the authorities even during daytime
• Loudspeakers, public address systems, musical instruments and sound amplifiers shall not be played during the night except in auditoriums, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls
• Loudspeakers or public address systems shall not be used between 10 pm and 6 am, except between 10 pm and midnight during cultural or religious occasion of a limited duration not exceeding 15 days in a year