It's loud and clear: MNS violated noise norms at Shivaji Park rally

Despite MNS assuring court that there would be no sound pollution at its rally, decibel level reading taken by activist Sumaira Abdulali showed that the sound was louder than the limit of 50 decibels

Despite the MNS assuring a court that there would be no sound pollution at its Shivaji Park rally, the decibel level reading taken by activist Sumaira Abdulali from AWAAZ Foundation showed that the sound was louder than the limit of 50 decibels.

Activist Sumaira Abdulali showing the high decibel reading outside Shivaji Park

A Mumbai-based NGO had approached the court recently, saying the MNS should not be allowed to hold its rally at Shivaji Park as the area is a ‘silence zone’. MNS had assured the court that it would not violate the Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules, 2000.

Before the rally, an MNS office bearer said, “We have told the court that we will not be using loudspeakers and will use sound distribution systems, instead, which is why there will not be any sound pollution.”

But activists at the venue differed. Loudspeakers, drums and dhols raised the decibel levels considerably, they said.

Abdulali told mid-day that the decibel level even touched 119.04 at one point. “But this was before the programme started. Once MNS chief Raj Thackeray began speaking, the maximum decibel level recorded was 85. When MNS leader Avinash Abhyankar spoke, the reading was 89 decibels.”

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