The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in Pune has officially recognized the serious issue of fluctuating sound levels and repeated breaches of permissible noise limits that occurred during the recent Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city. While acknowledging the problem, the tribunal expressed its satisfaction with the corrective measures undertaken by the concerned authorities.
Petition and Tribunal Proceedings
This development came about during the hearing of a petition filed by Dr. Kalyani Mandke, which sought strict enforcement of the tribunal's 2024 order. This order had directed authorities to implement robust noise control and monitoring protocols specifically for the Ganesh festival to combat noise pollution. The case was heard by a bench comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr. Sujit Kumar Bajpayee.
Notices were duly served to multiple respondents, including the state government, the Pune collector, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the Pune Municipal Corporation, and the city's police commissioner.
Extensive Monitoring and Alarming Findings
In its affidavit submitted on October 29, the MPCB revealed the scale of its monitoring operation. The board conducted real-time noise monitoring at over 200 festival pandals and 15 major traffic junctions across Pune city during the Ganapati festival. The real-time data was publicly displayed at these sites with a clear health warning about the dangers of exceeding standard noise limits.
The data uncovered significant violations. The highest noise level recorded at the pandals was a staggering 97.8 dB(A), while the lowest was 56.7 dB(A). Sound intensities consistently surpassed the 90 dB(A) mark on peak celebration days, including August 31, September 1, and September 6. Traffic intersections like Jedhe Chowk and Sonya Maruti Chowk were particularly problematic, registering noise levels between 90 and 105 dB(A).
The MPCB also reported a noticeable trend of rising noise levels as the festival reached its conclusion, attributing this surge to the widespread use of traditional instruments like dhols and amplified music during the grand immersion processions.
Police Action and Public Complaints
Following the detection of these violations, the MPCB informed the Pune police by submitting a detailed real-time noise monitoring report via email on October 14. The police response was documented in a report presented to the tribunal on November 26.
According to the police, their investigations led to the identification of 302 DJ systems that were flouting noise regulations. In response, the respective Deputy Commissioners of Police issued 302 show-cause notices to the responsible mandals and their presidents under Section 38 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
The report also highlighted the volume of public grievances, with the police helpline number 112 receiving 3,458 calls related to noise pollution. An additional 150 complaints were registered through SMSes sent to a dedicated mobile number provided by the police department.
Tribunal's Final Disposition
After a thorough review of the action-taken reports from the MPCB and the police, the NGT bench stated, "We are satisfied with the action taken by the respondents concerned so far. Therefore, we find no ground to pass any direction to the respondents." Consequently, the petition was disposed of on November 27.
Advocate Maitreya Ghorpade, who represented the petitioner, confirmed that notices had been issued to all respondents after the matter was listed for hearing on August 13.
