From 92.6 dB To 104.5 dB: How Pune Ganpati Visarjan Sound Levels Changed In A Year
Pune, 26th September 2026: Sound levels recorded at 10 crossroads along Pune’s Laxmi Road during the Ganesh Visarjan procession on September 25 and 26 averaged 104.5 decibels (dB), according to a report by Dr Mahesh Shindikar, head of the Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities at COEP Technological University.
The accompanying historical chart records an average of 92.6 dB for 2025, making the 2026 reported average 11.9 dB higher.
Dr Shindikar said that the measurements were taken on September 25 and 26, 2026. Ayush and Meher were the student coordinators.
Sound levels rise during the procession
The report records changes in sound levels at the 10 monitored locations throughout the procession. The average reading was 98.7 dB at noon on September 25, rising to 113.4 dB at 4 pm. It stood at 111.9 dB at 8 pm, 112.6 dB at midnight and 105.1 dB at 4 am on September 26, before falling to 85.2 dB at 8 am.
Among the monitored locations, Holkar Chowk recorded the highest average at 106.8 dB, followed by Shedge at 106.3 dB and Tilak at 105.5 dB.
Gokhale Chowk recorded an average of 104.4 dB, followed by Khandoji Baba Chowk at 104.2 dB, Umbrya Ganpati Chowk at 104.1 dB, Belbag at 104.0 dB, Limbraj Maharaj Chowk at 103.5 dB, Ganpati at 103.3 dB and Kunte at 102.8 dB.
The highest individual reading recorded in the report was 115.4 dB at Gokhale at 8 pm. Umbrya Ganpati Chowk recorded 115.2 dB at 4 pm, while Limbraj Maharaj Chowk recorded 114.4 dB at the same time.
By 8 am, readings varied considerably across the monitored crossroads. Tilak Chowk recorded 103.6 dB and Khandoji Baba Chowk 101.5 dB, while Umbrya Ganpati Chowk recorded 75.3 dB, the lowest reading at that hour.
2026 average higher than recent years
The historical chart places the 2026 average of 104.5 dB above the figures recorded for 2023 (101.2 dB), 2024 (94.8 dB) and 2025 (92.6 dB). It remains below the 105.2 dB recorded in 2022.
Sound-level limits cited in report
Dr Shindikar’s report also reproduces day- and night-time sound-level limits with reference to Central Pollution Control Board guidelines. It lists limits of 65 and 55 dB for commercial areas, 55 and 45 dB for residential areas, 75 and 70 dB for industrial areas, and 50 and 40 dB for silent zones, respectively.
