Pune-based citizens’ forum Loudspeaker Virodhi Punekar Manch will hold a protest on Sunday against alleged violations of noise pollution norms during Ganeshotsav and demand the public release of enforcement records from the police, Pune Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
The protest is scheduled for 5pm near the Jhansi Rani statue at Balgandharva Rangmandir Chowk. The forum has also submitted memorandums to the police, PMC and MPCB seeking details of noise-level measurements, complaints received during the festival and action taken against alleged violators.
The forum said the records have not been made public even two weeks after the Ganeshotsav immersion processions concluded on September 26. It has alleged that readings of noise levels and details of enforcement action were not adequately disclosed during the festival.
Citizen activist Mukund Kirdat said the forum submitted the memorandums on Saturday. The group is seeking information on the action taken by the agencies responsible for monitoring and enforcing noise pollution regulations during the festival period.
The demand places the focus on how Pune’s civic and law-enforcement agencies document and communicate compliance during large public celebrations. Noise monitoring during festivals involves multiple institutions, with the police, civic administration and pollution-control authorities responsible for different aspects of regulation, complaints and enforcement.
The forum has called for stricter implementation of noise pollution regulations and relevant court directives during upcoming festivals, including Navratra and Diwali. Its protest is intended to press the authorities for greater disclosure of noise-level data and enforcement outcomes before the next major festival events.
The immediate issue for the forum is whether agencies recorded violations, received complaints and initiated action during Ganeshotsav. The requested records could clarify the scale of complaints and the enforcement measures taken, although the supplied report does not provide the agencies’ responses or any official figures on noise levels.
The protest will take place as Pune approaches another period of intensified public celebrations, when the use of loudspeakers and sound systems is expected to remain a matter of regulatory scrutiny. The forum has asked the authorities to ensure that applicable noise norms and court directions are implemented during these events.
The next public step is the citizens’ forum protest at Balgandharva Rangmandir Chowk on Sunday. The police, PMC and MPCB are yet to publicly disclose the records sought by the forum, according to the report.
