The Maharashtra government plans to strictly monitor and take action against religious sites using loudspeakers that exceed the prescribed noise limit of 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night. Police inspectors (PIs) of respective jurisdictions have been assigned the task of keeping records of loudspeakers used by religious places and ensuring compliance with noise regulations. ‘Daytime’ is defined as 6 am to 10 pm, while ‘nighttime’ runs from 10 pm to 6 am. 

Calling the police “toothless” in dealing with such violations, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “As per Central government rules, the MPCB [Maharashtra Pollution Control Board] is empowered to take action. Whenever such a complaint arises, the police must notify the MPCB, which then takes action against violators.” He made these remarks while addressing the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.