Noise pollution
Three complaints filed from Kotwali police station limits on Sept 4 included two specifically mentioning loud DJ music and announcements. A complaint filed at Sitabuldi police station on Sept 5 concerned noise from a construction site in a residential area, while another complaint registered at Bajaj Nagar police station was against loud construction and drilling noise. The complaint at Kotwali police station against DJ music recorded a peak sound level of 92.4 decibels and an average of 84.2 decibels during a 41-second recording. The complaint was submitted on Sept 4 at around 9.41pm and was initially assigned to the police station. After the stipulated 30-minute service level agreement (SLA) was breached, it was escalated to the ACP and subsequently to the DCP. NMC recently reduced the response time from three hours to 30 minutes at each level.
One of the complaints indicated at the intensity of noise being reported.
Nagpur: From blaring DJs and loudspeakers to construction drilling and the screech of an iron-rod cutting machine, citizens have flagged various incidents on the “Noise Free Nagpur” portal within just two days of its launch. The “Noise Free Nagpur” system (https://noisefreenagpur.in) was jointly developed and implemented by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur police following directions of the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court. The complaints underline that noise concerns extend beyond the usual festive-season complaints against DJs and loudspeakers. Another complaint from Ajni police station limits concerned a loudspeaker. At Sadar police station, a citizen complained about the operation of an iron-rod cutting machine, highlighting how commercial and construction activity can also become a source of disturbance for residents. The portal flagged the reading as a severe noise level and indicated that the CPCB permissible limit had been breached. The platform was developed by NMC IT officer Swapnil Lokhande. Complaints are automatically routed to the jurisdictional police inspector.
At least nine complaints have been received since the online platform went live on Wednesday, with grievances registered across five police stations.