How a voluntary effort led to 25 years of noise monitoring during Ganesh immersion processions

Noise levels this year too will be measured at 10 key chowks along the procession route at Laxmi Road. “Policy changes included limiting DJ systems during night hours, promoting traditional instruments over electronic setups, management of the procession within the time schedule and restricting the welcome booths of political parties along the immersion route.

“There has also been a strict observation of timings as per Central Pollution Control Board. This year too readings will be taken at four-hour intervals starting from 12 noon on procession day till the next morning. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of temporal sound level variations throughout the event,” Shindikar said.

Initially, Shindikar conducted this survey independently and later friends, students and colleagues joined in. “Doing this activity alone and taking all these readings was a major task and for several years I was able to do it with like-minded friends. However, later I could get support from authorities and students helped conduct the scientific assessment every year. I got support from institutions like Savitribai Phule Pune University, Bharati Vidyapeeth’s Department of Environmental Education and Research, KTHM college at Nashik and COEP Technological University,” he said.

Prof Shindikar added that the objective was never to criticise, but to provide a transparent, scientific view of noise pollution affecting citizens during this festival.