SAMBALPUR: Ganesh Puja processions passing through Burla have turned into noisy spectacles, with blaring DJ music, even when such systems are officially not permitted. An RTI reply issued by the sub-collector’s office on February 27 says permission for DJ systems is not being granted.
The mockery of rules is hard to miss in Burla, where VIMSAR along with several other hospitals draw patients and attendants from across the region, while educational institutions add to the town’s student population. Police personnel are deployed alongside the processions during which the sound levels are booming and piercing.
The RTI reply states permission for loudspeakers is granted under Section 4 of the Orissa Fire-works and Loud Speakers (Regulation) Act, 1958. The reply also states the permitted sound intensity is 65 decibels “without DJ”. Incidentally, sounds above 85 decibels are considered dangerous to human hearing over prolonged exposure.
The response further says that an inquiry report is obtained from the IIC concerned before permission is granted. It also mentions that the office had received a complaint regarding noise pollution from loudspeakers/DJ systems, following which a case was registered before the SDM and a penalty of `500 was imposed.
The restrictions under the Act are particularly relevant to Burla. While section 3(a) prohibits the use of loudspeakers within the prescribed distance of hospitals and educational institutions, section 3(b) prohibits their use at any place or in any procession between 11 pm and 5 am without written permission.
City-based social activist Prasanta Padhi said, “The Orissa Fire-works and Loud Speakers (Regulation) Act, 1958 has been in force for years. Yet, Burla is being reverberated by DJ sound in the presence of police personnel during the processions. This is not only a blatant violation of the provisions but also reflects negligence, causing considerable inconvenience to the public, particularly patients, attendants and students.”
He added, “Section 5 of the Act clearly provides for punishment for violation, including imprisonment of up to six months or a fine, or both. When such provisions are already in force and the administration itself has confirmed through the RTI that DJ permission is not being granted, the authorities should explain how such systems are being allowed during processions.”