Noise levels dip slightly, but still exceed permissible limits

Average readings taken at 19 locations by MPCB on the 11th day of the Ganesh festival also found that sound levels ranged between 70dB and 90 dB.

ganesh festival, MPCB, ganeshotsav, lord ganesh ganesh visarjan, noise, noise pollution, pune news, indian express

Dhol-Tasha group performs during the Ganpati visarjan procession at Laksmi Road on Sunday. (Sandeep Daundkar)

The deafening sound created by traditional instruments like dhol tasha and pakhwaj along with electronic music played on the last day of the Ganesh festival continues to cross permissible limits.

Students of College of Engineering Pune (COEP), who conducted the annual monitoring exercise for the 14th year in succession, found decibel levels at 10 spots along the immersion route extremely high, violating permissible limits but a tad less noisier than earlier years.

Average readings taken at 19 locations by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on the 11th day of the Ganesh festival also found that sound levels ranged between 70dB and 90 dB.

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According to the noise pollution rules, the permissible level during the day is 50 dB in silence zones and 55 dB in residential areas.

Noise has been recognised as an ambient air pollutant. Apart from COEP, MPCB has also been monitoring noise pollution in various cities during the Ganesh festival.

In Pune, student volunteers from COEP took readings every four hours during the exercise that started at 12 noon on September 27 and ended at 8 am on September 28.

Between 8 pm and midnight, the noise levels during the immersion procession were deafening. At two places along the immersion route (Kunte chowk and Limbaraj Maharaj chowk), it exceeded 100 decibels, according to Dr Mahesh Shindikar, member of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and assistant professor of applied sciences at COEP who guided the students. The average recording of levels during that period was 104.1 dB. However, the noise levels dipped after 1.30 am, he said.

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COEP students monitored noise levels at 10 spots along Laxmi Road – Samadhan chowk, Ganpati chowk, Limbaraj Maharaj chowk, Kunte chowk, Umbrya Ganpati chowk, Gokhale chowk, Shedge Vithoba chowk, Holkar chowk, Tilak Chowk, Khandujibaba chowk. The average level registered was 96.6 dB.
Noise levels have been consistently rising during Ganesh festival over the last decade. While the festival was noisiest in 2013, when average reading showed levels as high as 114.4 decibels, it was 104.2dB in 2012.

MPCB spokesperson Sanjay Bhuskute said that among the 19 spots where MPCB monitored sound levels on the first (September 17), second, fifth, seventh and final days of the festival, average levels ranged between 50 and 90 dB.

University Road and Aundh Parihar chowk registered the maximum sound levels at 91 dB on the day of the immersion, according to MPCB officials. Navi Sanghvi (Krushna chowk) also had an average of 93 dB on the immersion day. Karve Road, Swargate, Satara Road registered high decibel levels in the range of 82- 85dB.

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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