Putting the slowdown, H1N1 scare and terror attacks behind, Mumbai had a blast this Diwali. But the extra gusto with which people celebrated — in many areas throwing sound-limits and time-limits to the wind—¿ has raised the hackles of an NGO that went around recording violations of decibel levels.

According to the NGO, the 10-pm firecracker deadline was broken across the city and decibel levels rose above prescribed limits even in silence zones during the festival of lights. It has written to the CM about the violations.

On Friday and Saturday, the NGO, Awaaz Foundation, which spreads awareness on air and noise pollution in the city, conducted a survey of noise levels in different areas of the city, western suburbs and eastern suburbs. “We found that firecrackers were being burst way after midnight in several areas. Police bandobast on the streets was missing and police control room numbers set up especially for complaints against noise violations were inaccessible,” Sumaira Abdulali, member of Awaaz alleged.

In a mail to the CM, she has brought to notice “the distress of citizens of Mumbai because of the unbearable and uncontrolled noise levels on Saturday and complete lack of any visible police action plan to control violations this Diwali, in spite of clear Supreme Court and Bombay HC orders and in spite of the suffering of the vast majority of Mumbai’s citizens”.

According to Abdulali, while people stuck to the noise deadline in most silence zones on Friday, Saturday saw gross violations. At 8.30 pm, she said she recorded noise levels exceeding 101 dB near KEM Hospital in Parel.

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