To put an end to the 'Azan versus Suprabhata' row, the Karnataka government has set a 15-day deadline for places to obtain written permission to use loudspeakers and public address systems and to voluntarily remove the unauthorised loudspeakers and public address systems.
A circular issued by the Ecology and Environment Department on Tuesday stated that a committee had been constituted to decide the applications for use of loudspeaker or public address system in accordance with the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. If the unauthorised loudspeakers are not removed before the deadline, the designated authorities will remove the equipment and also initiate penal action under Sections 15, 19 and 24 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The committee will comprise assistant commissioner of police and jurisdictional executive engineer in the police commissionerate areas of the city corporation and a representative of Pollution Control Board. In all other areas, DySP, the jurisdictional tahsildar and a representative of Pollution Control Board will be part of the committee.
Citing the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India had notified the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, where the Rule 3(1) laid down the ambient air quality standards in respect of noise for residential, commercial, industrial and silent areas/zones and defined duration of day (6:00am to 10:00pm) and night time (10:00pm to 6:00am). The state government has issued a circular seeking to effectively implement the same. In these rules, the noise limit (decibel) in each zone (day/night) had been specified: Industrial area—75/70, commercial—65/55, residential—55/45 and silent zone—50/40.
Subsequently, the state government order (dated August 13, 2002) fixed the responsibility of enforcing the noise pollution control measures to the director general of police, the commissioner of police in the cities of Bangalore, Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad and other officers of the Home department not below the rank of the deputy superintendent of police.
The enforcement authorities are to take action against those who violate the standards prescribed in the schedule through the use of loudspeakers, sirens, public address system or other modes of creating noise between 6.00am to 10.00pm and between 10.00pm to 6.00am and to prosecute them under section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act. 1986.
A loudspeaker or a public address system is barred in the night except in closed premises for communication within, for example, auditoria, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls.