Activists to seek court clarification on environment norms for gardens after loudspeakers disturb peace at Kamla Nehru Park during b'day celebrations of BJP chief Nitin Gadkari
Activists to seek court clarification on environment norms for gardens after loudspeakers disturb peace at Kamla Nehru Park during b'day celebrations of BJP chief Nitin Gadkari
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The loud party at the civic garden was organised by corportor Vikas Mathkari to celebrate BJP president Nitin Gadkari's birthday on Friday.u00a0
Sound pollution: Workers connect loudspeakers at the Kamla Nehru Park.
Pic/Vinita Tatke
The environmentalists said the public garden, within 100 metres of a hospital, falls in the silence zone and nobody had the right to play music on loudspeakers, as it created sound pollution and disturbed people visiting the garden.
Social activists Advocate Asim Sarode, Vinita Tatke, Rajesh Shende and Satish Kulkarni have raised this issue.
Sarode and the other environmentalist have sought relevant information from the RTI and are now in the process of drafting the writ petition to be filed in the high court.
Sarode said the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had contravened the Environmental Protection Act and not worked in accordance with the provisions of the Noise Pollution Control Rules 2000. "As per Supreme Court directives, enjoying fresh air, nature and peace is a fundamental right of every citizen. By paying a rent of
Rs 1,000 nobody, including Mathkari, can celebrate birthdays in a park and break the peace there," he said.
It was sad that even the police were being pressured by Mathkari, Sarode said.
Tatke said even Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak's behaviour was suspicious.u00a0"Initially, Pathak agreed to stop the programme, but later designated it as a cultural programme and let it go on," Tatke said. "Even the police on duty were rough with us and only obeyed Mathkari's directives by ignoring many in the park, including the elderly. The place is within 100 metres of Joshiu00a0 and Deshmukh hospitals, where silence is necessary. We have requested the police commissioner to look into the issue by submitting a written complaint. We want to stop this menace and are sure the court can provide some legal solution."u00a0
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