Ask mandals to skip Dolby systems; police stations given sound meters to keep tabs on rising decibels
Ask mandals to skip Dolby systems; police stations given sound meters to keep tabs on rising decibels
The city is set to have a relatively tranquil Ganeshotsav this year. The city police have announced a blanket ban on the use of Dolby sound system during the Ganapati celebrations. And to ensure the decibels do not ratchet up, each police station in the city has been provided with sound-level meter to keep a check on the din. 
Well Equipped: Police stations have been provided with the sound level
meters to check noise pollution. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
ADVERTISEMENT
At least five policemen from each police station also underwent a special training session on the use of the device. The police have also conducted a meeting with speaker providers, asking them to desist from providing Dolby systems to mandals.
The police have issued a model code of conduct for Ganapati mandals seeking police permission. The code allows the use of only two speakers per mandal and that too, below 5,000 watts. "Each police station has been given a sound-level meter to measure the decibels. We intend to follow the Supreme Court directives in all seriousness," said Police Commissioner Meeran Chaddha Borwankar.
Hadapsar police station in-charge P N Mandhare said: "The sound systems are transported to the city from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Panjim and Bangalore. Hadapsar policemenn will be deployed at check posts on Pune-Solapur Road and Saswad Road to disallow transportation of Dolbys in Hadapsar."
Police Inspector Sushma Chavan of Cantonment police station said the new device would help bring errant mandals to book. Though residents in the city have welcomed the initiative, none too happy are those engaged in the business of providing speakers. They said almost 60 per cent of mandals are disinclined to rent speaker systems fearing police action.
Gautam Kamble, treasurer of Pune Sound Generator Light Association, said: "Law enforcement agencies do not act against providers of sound system in the outskirts of city. The mandals there employ DJs, but rarely, action is taken against them." Devendra Walvekar of Hi Fi system said very few speaker providers were showing interest in renting out systems due to restrictions.
Shyam Mankar of Hatti Ganapati Mandal, which is famous for its presentation of larger-than-life historical scenes, said: "Two speakers are not enough when there are huge crowds. We use several small speakers to enable thousands of devotees to listen to the script of the scene being presented at the mandal. Also the commotion from the visitors adds to the noise of the loud speaker, but this factor has not been considered by the police."
Bar on sound
The noise level on the boundary of a public place, where loudspeaker or public address system or any other noise source is being used, shall not exceed 10 dB (A) above the ambient noise standards for the area or 75 dB (A) whichever is lower.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
