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Relaxing noise norms for Navratri, mandals have been given permission to use loudspeakers till midnight on September 28 and 29, the last two days of the festival. However, the police made it clear that infringement of noise limits would still result in criminal action. Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), issued orders to each police station in the city last week, instructing them that mandals be allowed to use loudspeakers this Thursday and Friday from 6 am to 12 am. During the rest of the festival, loudspeakers are permitted until 10 pm.
The police are empowered to take action against noise polluters who exceed this limit. However, police have been asked to ensure that mandals do not exceed either the 12 midnight limit or the noise decibel limit during its garba events. Mumbai Police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Deepak Devraj said that the exemption had been made only for the last two days of the festival. Throughout Sunday and Monday, the police have been making announcements on its Twitter handle even as irate citizens wrote to the police complaining that loudspeakers were being used in the localities well past the 10 pm deadline.
According to senior police officials, the exemption for the last two days of the festival is in line with the 15 days that the state government has reserved annually to allow loudspeakers until midnight. Senior police officials said that the 10 pm loudspeaker-limit is relaxed during the nine-day festival every year. “We will keep a watch on mandals to ensure there are no violations,” said an officer.
This year, the Mumbai Police also decentralised noise pollution monitoring committees, with one set up in each of the city’s five policing regions. Earlier, there was only a central noise committee functioning under the JCP (L&O) which consisted of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officials and civil society representatives.
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