How Vidyanand Bapat forced Pune to talk on Ganpati noise pollution

Bapat (37) was born and brought up in Ratnagiri. He moved to Pune nine years ago and lives in Narayan Peth. “People move out of their houses during the Ganpati festival in the Peth areas due to the noise. This is unacceptable,” he says.

An atheist, Bapat’s use of Marathi vocabulary and his stand on loudspeakers and dhol tashas have made him a hit not just on social media but also forced politicians to talk about the issue.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Bapat said, “Decibel limits can never be followed if you allow loudspeakers or dhol tashas in public spaces. It should be played at an enclosed soundproof place like an auditorium. Those who want to listen to it can go inside. That is the only solution to reduce this menace of noise pollution.”

In 2025, the Solapur district Collector had banned the use of DJs during Ganesh festival. Bapat says it is one of the reasons he decided to raise the issue in Pune this year.

“Normally if you play loudspeakers or dhol tasha it falls under public nuisance Section 268 IPC or 270 BNS. But you have created such a tradition that it is somehow justifiable under the disguise of festival celebration. It is not okay on any day of the year and at any time and at any public place,” he said.

Bapat says he comes from the school of thought of rationalists like Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Richard Dawkins. He refuses to reveal more about himself and insists that the focus should be on the issue and not him personally. He is not a fan of the memes and reels being made on him, saying they distract from the issue.

He says the law should be enforced at all costs. “These so-called festival enthusiasts, they are just goons. They just want to create noise at public places. They should be dealt with by force.”

How Bapat got everyone talking

At the PMC meet, many Ganpati mandals said that demands for restrictions were raised on their festivals, while other events saw no restrictions. They demanded that there should be no restrictions at all on the event. DJ processions, with numerous ‘bass and top’ speakers, have become common in the city.

Even before Bapat spoke at the PMC house, some residents had organised to oppose noise pollution during festivals. A collective under the banner ‘Ear-Splitting Speaker Free Pune Action Committee’ was formed. The committee organised a protest on August 30 at FC road with dozens joining the cause.

Rajesh Mangire, a leader of the committee and a BJP and RSS member, said, “There is a recent trend to label anyone who opposes something as an anti-national. This is not correct. That is why whenever I am issuing statements against noise pollution I am first mentioning that I am associated with the RSS.”

Now, Bapat’s fierce opposition to the noise pollution has given a boost to their movement. Bapat also joined a press conference organised by the committee.

Meanwhile, Dhiraj Ghate, BJP city president, said the media had been giving undue importance to Bapat and that “even a street dog did not know him.”

However, not all Ganpati mandals support noise pollution or DJs. Deepak Marne, president of the Babu Genu Ganpati trust, said that his mandal uses only dhol tasha during the visarjan ceremony. “We have never used DJs. I don’t feel dhol tasha should be opposed because it is our tradition. There can be restrictions on the number of instruments. Nowadays some use 100 dhols, we can reduce it to about 40. I agree that there should be limits to the noise,” he told The Indian Express.

On September 1, the National Human Rights Commission also took cognizance of a complaint filed against high noise levels during Ganesh festival and issued notice to the chairman of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and asked him to submit an action taken report within two weeks.

BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Pune Medha Kulkarni has also said that “festivals should absolutely avoid the ear-piercing blare of DJs” and that court rules and decibel limits should be followed.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a speech on August 31 also said, “I will definitely be asked if DJ should be used in Ganeshotsav or not. But I want to tell Punekars that only Pune has the ability to celebrate a festival in a completely traditional manner. My message to Punekars is that instead of getting dragged into this issue, they should show Maharashtra how a festival can be celebrated in a completely traditional manner.”