Enforce noise laws during polls, Prithviraj Chavan urged

A day after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) threatened to hold election campaign rallies on Mumbai’s streets, an organization working in the pollution field Saturday urged Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to ensure that noise pollution laws were not violated.

Awaaz Foundation convenor and anti-noise pollution activist Sumaira Abdulali has written to Chavan seeking his personal intervention to ensure that police and the authorities concerned do not allow the relevant laws to be flouted by any political party during the ensuing BMC elections.

Peeved by an adverse ruling rejecting the party’s plea to hold its Feb 13 poll rally at Shivaji Park, which falls in a silent zone, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had Friday threatened to hold his election meetings on Mumbai’s streets.

However, Abdulali pointed out to Chavan that many city streets in the city, including those around Shivaji Park in Dadar, fall under silent zones with restrictions notified by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

“The police, as the authority responsible to enforce silent zones, may take pre-emptive action in addition to filing cases with a magistrate under the Environment Protection Act,” she said.

Among other actions, loudspeakers or other equipment may be confiscated by the police prior to use if any political party seeks to violate the anti-noise rules, and Supreme Court and Bombay High Court orders on silent zones.

She pointed out that silent zones are necessary to protect sensitive areas such as hospitals, courts, educational institutions and religious places from excessive noise pollution.

Abdulali noted that even residential areas are vulnerable to the ill-effects of noise pollution and many Mumbaikars have made their feelings clear on the issue by taking it up in their own areas with the police, officials and the courts.

“In this regard, the MNS and all other political parties which conduct election campaigns are bound by the noise pollution rules which are identical for all citizens of India,” Abdulali emphasized.

She urged Chavan to intervene and direct effective police action to ensure that all political rallies are held strictly in accordance with the laws governing noise pollution rules without any violations anywhere.