As many as 20,703 idols were immersed across Thane city, including nearly 9,600 clay idols
Thane: Thane’s first day of Ganpati idol immersion was marked by deafening processions on Tuesday, with noise levels touching 100 decibels (dB) at key immersion points late night, anti-noise activist Mahesh Bedekar said. Bedekar, who recorded the noise levels across several points in Thane city, said the use of DJs and Dolby systems accompanying processions between 8.30pm and 11pm had fallen by about 20% compared with previous years. “The highest readings of 95-100 dB were recorded around 11pm near the immersion site on Ram Maruti Road. Meanwhile, 20,703 idols were immersed across Thane city, including nearly 9,600 clay idols.
The spike was mostly due to multiple sound amplifiers, DJs and drums,” Bedekar said, adding that police presence and traffic arrangements had failed to deter noise violations during the monitoring period. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
However, sound amplifiers, banjos and multiple drums continued to fuel the cacophony, he said. Thane Municipal Corporation said the number of clay idols and adoption of eco-friendly celebrations had increased from last year. The district administration has appealed residents to avoid use of Dolby DJ sound systems and comply by the noise limit norms. However, environmental activists Prashant Sinkar and Vijay Katti, disputed the claim, pointing to poor turnout at the artificial immersion ponds in Kopri and questioning the expenditure on them if devotees continued to favour natural water bodies. Download the TOI App.