[Noise Pollution] Punjab & Haryana High Court Seeks Status Report On Implementation Of Guidelines On Use Of Loudspeakers

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has sought a status report on the implementation of its guidelines on the use of loudspeakers, from the Governments of Punjab and Haryana.

While hearing a plea of a Haryana resident against curbing use of loudspeaker in Gurudwara,  Acting Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji said, "Keeping in view the issue involved, we expand the scope and also implead the State of Punjab for giving its report whether the judgment dated 22.07.2019 rendered in CWP-6213-2016, Reet Mohinder Singh vs. State of Punjab and others...is being implemented. "

Consequently, the Court issued notice on the plea to the States of Punjab and Haryana.

The High Court had prohibited the use of loudspeakers in the territory without prior permission from the authorities.

The Court also directed that the District Magistrate, SSP and SP of each district to be personally responsible to:

(i) Ensure that no sound-emitting construction equipment are operated at night between 10.00 p.m. to 06.00 a.m.;

(ii) The peripheral noise level of a privately owned sound system does not exceed 5dB(A) more than the ambient air quality standard specified for the area;

(iii) Ensure that no loudspeakers are permitted 15 days before and during the course of annual examinations;

(iv) Ensure that motorcycles throughout the states are duly fitted with silencers; and

(v) Prohibit the use of pressure horns.

The court also took judicial notice of the glorification of liquor, wine, drugs and violence in songs in the States which affected the children of impressionable age and issued various guidelines to curb the menace. 

The development came while hearing the plea of Haryana's Ambala residents Abhilaksh Sachdev and Sumati Sachdev under Article 226, who were aggrieved by the alleged indiscriminate use of loudspeakers by a Gurudwara situated in their vicinity.

It was alleged that the Gurudwara has been using the loudspeaker during odd hours of the day and night, disregarding the fact that it is situated in a residential area resided by old, ailing people and students as well.

The petitioner thus seeks directions to State authorities to take action against the Gurudwara in view of mandatory guidelines in Reet Mohinder Singh vs. the State of Punjab and others.

Listing the matter for April 22, the Court directed the respondents that a status report should be submitted by both States by the next date of hearing on to the complaints received and action taken on them in all districts of both States.

Advocates Abhinav Sood,  Achintaya Soni and Nitesh Jaghria for the petitioners

Deepak Balyan, Addl. A.G. Haryana for State of Haryana

Saurav Khurana, Addl. A.G., Punjab for State of Punjab

Click here to read/download the order