Noise pollution serious crime says NGT, asks police to take strict action against violators

Noise pollution beyond prescribed norms is a serious punishable crime, the NGT has said and asked the police to map such hotspots as also put in place a surveillance mechanism for taking strict action against violators.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Police Commissioner to monitor the implementing officers so as to safeguard the right of citizens and e-mail the report on within a month.

The green panel said that citizens have Constitutional right to peaceful environment and noise pollution beyond prescribed norms is serious punishable crime for which adequate preventive and remedial action is needed.

"There has to be strict action of identifying and mapping the hotspots of noise pollution, requiring installation of noise measuring device by the users of noise creating devices having potential of causing high noise level, beyond the prescribed limit," the bench said.

"There has to be a surveillance and monitoring mechanism, coordination with the educational institutions and resident welfare associations at regular intervals," it added.

NGT said it had an interaction with the concerned officers in an attempt to advise them on understanding their responsibility and accountability to law and their duty to the society.

The tribunal said taking action against only four persons for noise pollution or simply writing to Central Pollution Control Board hardly meets the expectations when there is large scale violation of law.

It said that technical inputs can be taken by personal meeting with the CPCB and Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

"Simply writing a letter to them is just avoiding the responsibility. Let the officers now do their duty, take remedial steps and furnish their reports of their efforts," it said while posting the matter for hearing on July 12.

Merely passing an order that laws should be complied with is not enough for authorities as they also need to take action violators, the tribunal had earlier said in a case against the use of loudspeaker to curb noise pollution.

The NGT's observation came while dealing with a plea alleging that illegal use of loudspeakers at mosques was adversely affecting the health of the residents living in their vicinity in East Delhi.

The tribunal was hearing a plea by NGO Akhand Bharat Morcha alleging that illegal use of loudspeakers at such places adversely affected the health of the residents living in their vicinity.

The plea had alleged that the activities of some mosques were in violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.