Noise pollution by mosque: Cops told to comply with norms

On Tuesday, the police submitted a report that a distance between the hospital and the mosque is 90 metres and was within the 100 metres criteria for silence zone under Noise Pollution Rules. Thereafter, the bench asked the zonal DCP to remain present in the court.

On Wednesday, the police officer in charge of the said zone submitted before the court that the police had taken suo motu steps to deal with the issue. (Representational image)

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The Bombay High Court Wednesday pulled up Mumbai Police asking them to strictly comply with the laws and past orders regarding noise pollution violation while hearing a plea against use of louspeakers by a mosque during early morning.

A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Sharmila U Deshmukh was hearing a plea by lawyer Reena Richard, resident of Thakur Village, Kandivali (East), who made several complaints to Samta Nagar Police station and had posted live videos on Twitter to show that a mosque is using loudspeakers during early morning hours, despite there being restrictions on use of loudspeaker between 10pm and 6am and the area in question being a silence zone. As per rules, a silence zone is an area comprising not less than 100 metres around hospitals, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area where the decibel level should not exceed 50 decibels in the day time and 40 decibels at night.

Richard submitted that ESIS Hospital was nearby and the area did fall under the silence zone. She submitted that though she again complained to the police station concerned, no action was taken hence she approached the HC.

On Tuesday, the police submitted a report that a distance between the hospital and the mosque is 90 metres and was within the 100 metres criteria for silence zone under Noise Pollution Rules. Thereafter, the bench asked the zonal DCP to remain present in the court.

On Wednesday, the police officer in charge of the said zone submitted before the court that the police had taken suo motu steps to deal with the issue.

After Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde told the bench that the said area was not a silence zone, the bench said that it was contrary to the report submitted and the police have to comply with the norms and earlier directions.

The bench said that since there was a hospital within stipulated limited of 100 metres, the authorities were bound to follow the HC directions. “You have to comply with the rules and judgements of this court. They have to be strictly followed and if you do not take action we will issue contempt (proceedings) against you,” the bench said orally.