Anant Chaturdashi 2011 Ganapati Bappa Morya.
While this year most Ganpati pandals did not play loud music through the day, the final immersion day was as noisy as the earlier years with DJs mounted on trucks converting street corners into impromptu discotheques.
On September 11, idol immersion processions in some parts of the city, such as Girgaum Chowpatty, Bandra and Juhu, were not as noisy as the earlier years, in other areas such as Parel, Worli and Mahim, they had got louder, revealed Awaaz Foundation, an anti-noise campaign group.
Sumaira Abdulali of Awaaz Foundation said DJs and loudspeakers on trucks accompanying the Ganpati idols were the biggest source of noise.
"Areas where the police had enforced noise restrictions were quieter, while places where there was no police presence were noisier. For instance, the area covered by Lamington Road police station had decibel levels soaring to 100. On the other hand, the Gamdevi police station area was quieter," said Abdulali.
While the music levels touched 100dB between 11am and midnight at Lamington Road, when the same procession reached Girgaum Chowpatty, the main immersion site in south Mumbai, the DJs were forced to stop playing music.
"At midnight, loudspeakers accompanying the idols were switched off, but those on political parties' booths continued to play music at 90-100dB at Lamington Road, even in police presence," said Abdulali.
"But in the Girgaum police jurisdiction, just across the street, no music was played on loudspeakers after 12.20 am, they were only used to welcome individual processions and call out names of the politicians accompanying them."
In Thane, the immersion processions were "as loud as ever" found Dr Mahesh Bedekar, who measured noise levels there. "I think the police did not give permission for loudspeakers at pandals, but they were not able stop DJs from playing loud music in the processions," said Bedekar.
Nisar Tamboli, spokesperson for the Mumbai police said, "I do not know whether there was lack of enforcement (of noise pollution rules) by police stations. That can be found out if we compare the number of cases registered at various police stations."
While the final figures for the number of complaints registered during the 10-day period are yet to be compiled, until September 7, 27 cases of violation of Noise Pollution Rules were filed and another 25 complaints of use of loudspeakers were registered.
"There are substantial violations this year, but the police have taken suo moto action against offenders in addition to acting on complaints from citizens," said a police officer, requesting anonymity.
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