Ganesh immersion: At 105.2 decibels, Pune’s Laxmi Road records noisiest celebrations since 2013

As Pune celebrated Ganesh festival after a two-year gap of muted festivities, noise levels frequently crossed the maximum permissible limits, a team from College of Engineering Pune Technological University found.

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The permissible noise limit for a residential, commercial and industrial area is 55, 65 and 75 decibels, respectively. (File)

While Pune’s Laxmi Road saw the noisiest Ganesh immersion celebrations since 2013 this year, at 105.2 decibels (dB), Khanduji Baba Chowk recorded an alarming 128 decibels at 8 am on Saturday, a team from College of Engineering Pune (COEP) Technological University has found.

As Pune celebrated the 10-day Ganesh festival with great fanfare after a two-year pandemic-induced gap of muted festivities, noise levels frequently crossed the maximum permissible limit of 60-65 decibels.

Noise levels in different places across Pune

“This year, Puneites and Ganesh festival enthusiasts from different places were eager to participate…it was a mix of traditional instruments like dhol tasha and music played by DJs that led to the cacophony,” Dr Mahesh Shindikar, assistant professor of biology at COEP Technological University, said.

Shindikar and his team of students have been conducting sound monitoring exercises at 10 locations along Laxmi Road for over two decades now, he told The Indian Express. After the Ganesh immersion processions began, the university team systematically recorded noise levels every four hours from Friday noon till 8 am on Saturday. While the average noise level recorded across 10 locations was at 105.2 dB, the level at Belbaug Chowk was 102.8 dB, 104.9 dB at Ganpati, 103.2 dB at Limbraj, 113.1 dB at Kunthe, 112.6 dB at Umbrya, 101.6 dB at Gokhale, 102.4 dB at Shedge, 103.8 dB at Holkar, 105.3 dB at Tilak and 102.2 dB at Khandoji.

“While the lowest noise level of 64 decibels recorded at 4 pm on Friday (Sept 9) was at Khanduji Baba Chowk, at 8 am on Saturday (September 10), the noise levels had shot up to 128.5 decibels, which was dangerous. Our team also observed that several residents in the area were affected by the constant noise levels and found the environment unbearable,” Dr Shindikar said.

The permissible noise limit for a residential, commercial and industrial area is 55, 65 and 75 decibels, respectively. According to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, noise over 70 dB over a prolonged period of time may start to damage one’s hearing and loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to one’s ears.

This year, the COEP team also measured and recorded noise levels from 7 pm to 9 pm for 10 days across the city before the day of the immersion and recorded noise levels at an average of 80-90 decibels. The last time such high levels were recorded was in 2013 when the average noise level on the concluding day of the Ganesh festival immersion procession was 109.3 dB.

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Over the years, an increasing awareness about the ill effects of noise pollution saw noise levels gradually decreasing, and in 2019, the average noise level during the Ganesh immersion procession had dropped to 86.2 dB. Two years of the Covid pandemic saw a further dip with noise levels falling to less than 60dB.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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