Mumbai’s Ganesh Visarjan sees noise levels surge to 115 decibels
According to data furnished by Mumbai-based NGO Awaaz Foundation, the highest level of noise in a Ganesh Visarjan procession was recorded at 115 dB around 12.22 am on Tuesday near Opera House.
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The report stated that the sources of sound in all these places were primarily drums and loudspeakers. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)Noise levels recorded during the final day of Ganesh Visarjan hit the 115 decibel-mark in parts of Mumbai and were slightly higher compared to last year.
According to data furnished by Mumbai-based NGO Awaaz Foundation, the highest level of noise in a Ganesh Visarjan procession was recorded at 115 dB around 12.22 am on Tuesday near Opera House. Last year, the highest noise levels that were recorded on the last day of Ganeshotsav stood at 114.7 dB.
Meanwhile, besides Opera House, the noise level reached 112.2 dB at Bandra (west) around 9.28pm on Tuesday. Besides this, several areas such as Juhu, Santacruz, Cuffe Parade and Colaba, also recorded high noise levels above 100dB between 8pm and midnight on September 17.
The report stated that the sources of sound in all these places were primarily drums and loudspeakers.
“Loudspeakers were used to amplify drums, banjos and other types of music. Along the immersion route leading to Girgaon Chowpatty, loudspeakers from political pandals were used to make speeches and continued beyond midnight. At about 12.14am on 17th September, although the loudspeakers from processions were shut, the speeches continued and the noise levels were as high as 98dB,” said the foundation’s report.
The highest noise level at the Eid-e-Milad procession held on Wednesday was 101dB at Mohamed Ali Road, followed by 90 dB at Byculla and 85.5 dB in Mumbai Cental. The noise levels were recorded from loudspeakers that were used for making speeches. The highest noise level recorded in 2023 was 108 dB.
The report furthermore states that loudspeakers mounted with trucks were regarded as one of the primary sources of noise levels during Eid-e-Milad.
Sumaira Abdulali, a member of the NGO, said she will be writing to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to point out that amplification by loudspeakers, regardless of the source of noise, violates decibel levels.
“This is particularly important to note when speeches are continued past midnight, beyond the time limit for loudspeakers. In the years after Covid-19, it has been noted that in violation of noise rules and court orders, political parties continue to use loudspeakers well beyond midnight along the immersion route of processions. This year too, the loudspeakers continued at high levels post midnight. Even though there were fewer DJs, amplification of music including drums and banjos through loudspeakers resulted in high noise levels at many processions,” Abdulali said.
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