Nagpur: In a night when ear-splitting crackers troubled thousands across the city, police registered a mere 22 cases despite receiving 95 calls reporting violations such as bursting firecrackers on roads, creating a nuisance in public places, violating prescribed timings and defying prohibitory orders.
At places such as Sadar, Sitabuldi, Mahal and Wardhaman Nagar, ambient noise levels reportedly crossed 100 decibels, making it particularly difficult for police teams to establish the noise generated by individual firecrackers. Police are also investigating fires reported during the festive period to establish how many were caused by firecrackers.
A senior cop said enforcement proved to be a major challenge, particularly when it came to measuring noise levels and documenting violations. Every police station was provided with one decibel meter, according to sources. Officials said accurately recording violations became technically challenging under such circumstances. The process of registering an offence turned out to be another hurdle, a senior cop said. Police personnel required two independent witnesses for each action, sources said. “Recording decibel levels, preparing the spot panchnama and completing the necessary documentation took approximately 30 minutes for every case,” said an official. “This elaborate procedure considerably slowed down enforcement, particularly when multiple complaints were being received simultaneously from different parts of the city. ” “Police teams had to face public wrath too for interfering with people’s religious sentiments,” said an officer.
More strikingly, high ambient noise levels at several locations went unchecked as police struggled with their noise-measuring devices. Police personnel found it extremely difficult to isolate the sound of individual firecrackers amid continuous traffic movement, vehicle honking, loud conversations and crackers being burst in neighbouring areas. “With several complaints pouring in, police teams often struggled to decide which locations required immediate attention.