Noise levels during Diwali were ear-splitting, while Ganesh Chaturthi was among the quieter festivals, a decade ago. The reverse is true today. Diwali has grown quieter, while Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid have seen the highest noise levels. Politics, and not religion, may explain this.
“Diwali is celebrated by individuals and families. Citizens have responded to years of activism on noise pollution, and brought down noise levels, opting for firecrackers that emit less sound. But Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid are celebrated at the community level, with politicians pumping in money. These festivals have, over the years, seen rising noise levels,” said Sumaira Abdulali, noise pollution activist and founder of Awaaz Foundation, who has been recording noise levels during festivals for over a decade.
When Abdulali began campaigning against noise pollution, she thought it would be harder to bring down levels during Diwali, as individuals would be tougher and more unwieldy to control. She thought it would be easier to reduce levels during festivals organized on a larger scale, as it would mean dealing with festival organisers and not individuals. But the common man was more conscious of the environment than politicians and religious groups.
Nearly every noise reading by Awaaz Foundation during Diwali crossed 100dB in 2007; the highest was 130dB. Last year, levels around Diwali dropped drastically to 80-95dB. Only one recording (105.5dB) crossed 100dB in 2014. In 2013, less than 50% recordings during Eid-e-Milad crossed 100dB, while the maximum was 104.5. This year, the maximum recorded was 113dB. Levels routinely crossed 100dB.
Meanwhile, 14 of 18 readings during Ganesh Chaturthi last year crossed 100dB. The maximum level recorded du ring the festival in 2014 was 114dB. The highest recorded during Ganesh Chaturthi in recent years was 123dB in 2013. A decade ago, levels during Ga nesh Chaturthi were 80-87dB.
Abdulali said the Supreme Court passed an order on noise limits between 10pm and 6am in 2005. “That was the year lo udspeakers during Ganesh Chaturthi stopped at 10pm, and there was no early morning azaan,” said Abdulali. A day before Gauri-Ganpati Visarjan, Maharashtra Ganeshotsav Mahasangh has appealed that Ganesh idols should be immersed before 9pm. The umbrella body of over 200 mandals also urged all affiliates to follow noise and traffic rules during the immersion processions.
“The court has put restrictions on noise pollution that devotees should follow, else a day will come when ‘no noise’ rules may be imposed during immersion processions,” said Jayendra Salgaonkar, the Mahasangh’s president.
The Mahasangh was formed last year by a group of people, including Salgaonkar, former chief secretary of the state Arun Bongirwar and Mukta Tilak, a fourth generation descendant of Lokmanya Tilak. Jayendra is the son of Jayant Salgaonkar, who publishes the Kalnirnay calendar.
“Many Ganesh mandals may not agree with our views but we would suggest they follow all the rules while celebrating festivals so that others will not feel irritated or be hurt by our celebration,” Salgaonkar told TOI.
He said next year they will reach out to as many mandals as possible to spread the message and get them involved in this campaign.
The umbrella body, in a letter issued to the mandals, has stated that loudspeakers should not be used in the processions or volumes should be lowered so that only those attending can hear, that dances should be traditional and not western style, that idol immersion should be completed before 9pm and that processions should refrain from halting on the way lest they affect the flow of traffic.
The 9pm deadline is necessary to ensure that all immersions are over by 11pm, the idols lose their sanctity if the immersion process extends beyond midnight, Salgaonkar said. Last year, over 2 lakh idols were immersed in Mumbai. “It hurts a lot when one sees the immersion of a huge idol. Instead, the government should give a perma nent place to keep the huge idol and reuse it with new paint in the next year.
A small idol should be kept for puja by each mandal and this should be immersed. It will also help to avoid water pollution. We need to build public pressure to keep the festival’s purity,” Salgaonkar added.
A civic official said that the municipal corporation is ready for the immersion and all necessary steps have been taken like mangal kalash at immersion points, lighting arrangements on sea and lakes, lifeguards deployed, and also traffic has been diverted.
The municipal corporation, this year has followed stricter norms while allowing pandals on the road and pandal applications have reportedly been scrutinised thoroughly.