Noise levels during Mumbai’s Durga Puja immersion processions reached as high as 110.8 decibels on Tuesday, substantially exceeding statutory limits, according to monitoring by Awaaz Foundation. The organisation also reported firecrackers being used in public spaces and laser lights being directed at homes and traffic.
The highest readings were recorded in Mahim, where noise levels ranged from 94.4 to 110.8 dB(A) during processions involving loudspeakers and laser lights aimed towards traffic. Dadar West recorded levels between 82 and 102.6 dB(A), alongside loudspeaker processions.
At Prabhadevi, readings ranged from 88 to 103.1 dB(A), with firecrackers and loudspeakers identified as the main sources. Cuffe Parade recorded levels between 87.2 and 100.4 dB(A), driven by horn-type loudspeakers and laser-light displays, the organisation said.
Awaaz Foundation said the readings were far above the permitted limits for silence zones and residential areas. The source report cited limits of 40-50 dB(A) in silence zones and 45-55 dB(A) in residential areas. The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that a rise in measured sound represents a substantial increase in acoustic intensity rather than a simple linear change.
The findings were shared by Awaaz Foundation founder Sumaira Abdulali in a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Abdulali urged the government to take strict penal action against those violating noise restrictions and referred to Bombay High Court orders concerning festival noise and the use of firecrackers in public spaces.
The report said that laser lights were directed into homes and towards traffic during some processions. Such activity adds a safety concern beyond the noise readings because drivers and other road users may face impaired visibility when bright beams are aimed at moving vehicles or public roads.
The monitoring also raises questions about enforcement during large public processions. Abdulali said in the letter that many of the events took place in the presence of police. The report did not provide details of the number of notices issued, fines imposed or equipment seized by authorities after the alleged violations.
Mumbai’s festival processions often move through dense residential and commercial neighbourhoods, where streets serve simultaneously as public routes, traffic corridors and the immediate surroundings of homes. The readings reported from Mahim, Dadar West, Prabhadevi and Cuffe Parade therefore point to an enforcement challenge involving both event organisers and public agencies responsible for permissions, policing and noise regulation.
Awaaz Foundation has requested strict action against the reported violations. Further details on the government’s response, including any enforcement measures or directions issued to police and civic authorities, were not available in the supplied report.
