A division bench comprising Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Vinay Saraf issued the notices on Wednesday, directing the Union government and the state pollution control board to respond within four weeks.
Jabalpur: (On Oct 24): The Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to the Centre and the state government in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking immediate measures to control noise pollution during festivals and weddings across the state.
A division bench comprising Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Vinay Saraf issued the notices on Wednesday, directing the Union government and the state pollution control board to respond within four weeks.
BRIEF FACTS
The PIL was filed by several individuals, including Dr. Govind Prasad Mishra, former vice-chancellor of Jabalpur’s Nanaji Deshmukh University of Veterinary Sciences, retired chief conservator of forests R.P. Shrivastava, former irrigation department engineer K.P. Reja, and retired assistant geologist Y.N. Gupta.
Section 268 Indian Penal Code, 1860 “A person is guilty of a public nuisance who does any act or is guilty of an illegal omission which causes any common injury, danger or annoyance to the public or to the people in general who dwell or occupy property in the vicinity, or which must necessarily cause injury, obstruction, danger or annoyance to persons who may have occasion to use any public right. A common nuisance is not excused on the grounds that it causes some convenience or advantage.”
The petitioners, represented by advocate Aditya Sanghi, requested urgent steps to mitigate noise pollution. Sanghi noted that Dr. Mishra, aged 82, and Shrivastava, aged 100, cannot relocate from their current homes to avoid the disturbance.
He argued that the noise levels during festivals and weddings are so high that even windowpanes vibrate, making it impossible for residents to sleep peacefully. The advocate pointed out that, as per central regulations, the permissible noise limit is 75 decibels (dB) during the day, while residential areas and silence zones have limits of 45 dB and 40 dB at night, respectively.
Sanghi further emphasized that the Indian Medical Association warns that exposure to noise levels above 80 dB can impair hearing. The petitioners approached the High Court after their complaints to the authorities yielded no action.
