‘Illegal practice’: Allahabad High Court cracks down on late-night wedding DJs, loudspeakers post 10 pm

Seeking a response from the state authorities, the Allahabad High Court ordered, “In the meantime, we direct the concerned authorities, including the police, as far as they have a role to play in the matter, to ensure that no loudspeakers or sound systems are played after 10 pm in violation of decisions of Hon’ble the Supreme Court, and in violation of the permissible decibel limits”.

Allahabad High Court seeks details

The Allahabad High Court was informed about noise pollution emanating from the use of loudspeakers, DJ systems in marriage lawns and other spaces and buildings, which are used for functions, in late hours of the night in violation of the Supreme Court’s order in Church of God (Full Gospel) in India v KKR Majestic Colony Welfare Association.

The court observed that loudspeakers and DJ systems were routinely used late into the night during marriage celebrations and remarked that it appeared there was “no mechanism to stem this illegal practice”.

The bench sought details regarding the permissible decibel limits for sound systems at marriage celebrations and the mechanism in place for continuous monitoring of noise levels and violations. It also asked authorities to disclose the action taken over the last year against such violations.

“We would like to know as to what is the decibel permissible for use of sound systems, loudspeakers etc. at marriage celebrations, etc., and what is the mechanism in place for a continuous and regular monitoring of use of such sound systems and volumes/decibel of more than permissible limits and what action has been taken in the last one year in this regard”, the court remarked.

The Allahabad High Court lamented that sound systems are played at high volume late at night during marriage celebrations held in residential areas, as well as in parks and community centres, which not only affect the residents but also school-going children, ailing persons, and elderly residents.

It further added that affected residents appeared to have no forum of redressal and directed state authorities to address the issue comprehensively in their affidavits.

“Marriage celebrations take place even in residential areas, besides parks, community centres, etc., and sound systems are played at loud volume late in the night, which not only affects the residents in general, but especially the school-going children, ailing persons, the old age residents, but it seems as of now they do not have a forum of redressal”, the Allahabad High Court noted.

The court also directed the Lucknow Development Authority and Lucknow Nagar Nigam to specifically address the issue of high-volume sound systems being used in parks, community centres and marriage halls controlled by them.

Gujarat High Court’s order

• Recently, the Gujarat High Court, in its order dated April 27, stated that “it is very painful to note that even after 20 years from the issuance of the guidelines and directions by the Supreme Court”, the issue of noise pollution persists in Gujarat.
• It cited precedents that state that courts “cannot remain a mute spectator to the complete defiance of the directions and watch the vulnerable class of citizens suffer.”
• A bench of Justices B D Karia and L S Pirzada was hearing a contempt application in a PIL concerning noise pollution filed by advocate Amit Panchal, seeking the implementation of directions issued by the Supreme Court for noise pollution, especially between 10 pm to 6 am.
• Senior officials, including Home Secretary Nipuna Torwne and Gujarat Pollution Control Board Chairman R B Barad, who were virtually present in court, assured the court that “there shall be strict compliance of the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the notifications issued.”