Pune: Voice Against Noise Campaign Pushes for Government Action on Noise Pollution
Kalyani Nagar: Today, April 26th, is International Noise Awareness Day, and residents of Pune are using the occasion to draw attention to the serious issue of noise pollution in their city.
The Voice Against Noise campaign, conducted by Team Swachh Kalyani Nagar along with residents of Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar, Vadgaonsheri, Viman Nagar and others, has highlighted the detrimental impact of noise pollution on the health and well-being of Pune’s citizens.
The campaign has called on all government departments to take action against the major sources of noise pollution in the city, including nightclubs and traffic noise. During a meeting local politicians Jagdish Mulik, Vanita Wagaskar, and Minal Sarvade, pledged to work towards reducing noise pollution and raising awareness of its health hazards in schools.
Residents spoke passionately about the impact of noise pollution on their lives, with Dutch national Jasper Fortun, who lives in Koregaon Park, saying, “If I am in bed at night, I want to listen to whispering trees, not massive beats. It frustrates me and also makes me angry. If you’re the owner of a club or bar, do you care about neighbours? Apparently not!!”
Shreemoyee Roychoudhary, a resident of Viman Nagar, echoed these sentiments, saying, “Loud music is really a distraction! It prevents me from doing things in peace. Working on daily tasks when there’s a constant noise in the background is really irritating. I can’t sleep nor can I do anything with a peaceful mind, it’s hard to be productive that way.”
Sachin Agashe, a resident of Kalyani Nagar, spoke about the emotional toll that noise pollution is taking on him and his family, saying, “The noise is causing undue aggression, anger and a feeling of helplessness. This anger is coming out on my family and at work.”
Sonam Mahadik, a resident of Vadgaonsheri, described the impact of illegal rooftop restaurants in her area, saying, “From 10 pm to 5 am, loud thumping bass music blasts from these restaurants, causing palpitations, insomnia, hypertension causing lack of sleep. All these issues are impacting my entire family. I’ve been complaining for the past two years! When will this heinousness end? Are these individuals above the law?!”
Mira Shah of Vadgaonsheri highlighted the insidious impact of noise pollution, saying, “It is only when night falls and construction activity ceases and a blissful silence descends that one realizes how noisy it has been all day. One understands why the body was stressed and the nerves were frayed, why one was so irritated and irritable. This impact of noise pollution is insidious, but it wears out over time.”
The residents of Pune have made it clear that they will not tolerate the ongoing impact of noise pollution on their lives, and they are calling on the authorities to take action. With the support of local politicians and campaigns like Voice Against Noise, they are hopeful that change can be made, and the city can become a quieter, more peaceful place for all.
Residents’ questions:
1) Why did PMC issue licenses to pubs/ nightclubs for playing loud music without No objection certificates from nearby societies?
2) Though there are repeated violations, why doesn’t the excise department and PMC cancel the license of nightclubs?
3) Besides schools and hospitals, are licenses issued to bars? These are silence zones!!
4) When the music instruments are seized by nightclubs the next day they are returned to nightclubs..why?
5) Maharashtra Pollution Control board has received complaint letters but no fine issued to such nightclubs?
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