Uttarakhand HC orders govt to regulate usage of loudspeakers in places of worship

The permission must be given only on the condition that the noise level shall not exceed 5dB(A), the court order stated.

Mentioning the “annoyance, disturbance and discomfort” caused by loudspeakers, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the state government to ensure that no loudspeakers are used in temples, mosques, gurdwaras, or any other place in the state unless permission has been sought from the concerned authorities for the usage.

“The state government is directed to ensure that no loudspeaker or public address system shall be used by any person including religious bodies in temples, mosques and gurudwaras without the written permission of the authority even during day time,” the Division Bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Lok Pal Singh stated. The Bench was hearing a 2015 PIL filed by Mahendra Singh, that highlighted pollution, including water and air pollution, being caused by a Haridwar-based industry.

The permission must be given only on the condition that the noise level shall not exceed 5dB(A), the court order stated. The court further ordered all police department heads to ensure that “no horn (is) used in silence zone(s) between 10pm and 6am… except during public emergency”.

While the High Court gave the order on June 19, the written order to the effect was issued on Tuesday.