Nearly all Ganesh pandals violated noise pollution norms during Ganesh festival this year: MPCB

Nearly all Ganesh pandals violated noise pollution norms during the Ganesh festival held earlier this year, a recent report by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has highlighted. This year for the first time, noise was monitored at 200 Ganesh pandals following an order issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Kartikey Langote, sub-regional officer, MPCB, said, “Noise monitoring was carried out at pandals in the city during the Ganesh festival as per the NGT norms. Now the report has been prepared and as per NGT guidelines, we will soon submit this report to the tribunal.”

The report contains data compiled from the noise monitoring exercise carried out at 200 Ganesh pandals in the city between September 7 and 16. Noise monitoring data of the immersion (Visarjan) day is not included in the report. According to the report, all Ganesh pandals recorded an average noise level between 70 and 85 decibels which is marginally higher than the limit prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. The stipulated noise limit during the day is 55 decibels in residential areas, 65 decibels in commercial areas, and 50 decibels in silence zones. Whereas the recommended limit during the night is 45 decibels in residential areas, 55 decibels in commercial areas, and 40 decibels in silence zones.

After Dr Kalyani Mandke, an audiologist from Pune, applied to the western bench of the NGT on August 21 stating that noise pollution norms were being violated during the Ganesh festival, the bench on August 30 issued a significant order regarding noise monitoring during the Ganesh festival. Dr Mandke had also demanded that the NGT direct a joint committee comprising representatives of the district collector’s office and MPCB to evolve a protocol for effective control of noise pollution and management of complaints around noise pollution during the Ganesh festival in the city.

The NGT in its order instructed the MPCB to carry out real-time noise monitoring at a minimum three locations near each Ganpati pandal and ensure that noise levels along with standard limits are prominently displayed accompanied by pandal names and health warnings.