Noise levels in the city seem to have remained well under control so far this Ganeshotsav. According to hospital authorities and civic officials, the recent High Court order on silence zones, H1N1 scare, economic slowdown or recent terror strike could have been the dampener.

Newsline visited a few silence zones near some hospitals and educational institutes across the city and found the decibel levels surprisingly low in most areas. In fact, blaring loud speakers and incessant music were conspicuously absent even in areas that don’t fall under silence zones, including Lalbaug where the Lalbaugcha Raja is set up. Around KEM Hospital that usually sees grand celebrations, revelry was unexpectedly under the prescribed level.

“There are a few Ganesh pandals set up near KEM Hospital. But unlike last year, the mandal organisers have taken an effort to keep the noise level low this time,” said and employee of a chemist store near KEM.

Last month, after the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board directed all mandals to ban the use of speakers and crackers in the 100-metre periphery of schools, hospitals, courts and religious places, nearly 10,000 public mandals had appealed for the relaxation of norms to BMC. However, the government had rejected their plea.

Naresh Dahibaokar, vice-president of the BMC committee that coordinates between the civic body and 10,247 public mandals, said, “We have managed to get an agreement from all mandals to comply with the HC ruling. The noise level during the Ganesh festival should be below 50 dB and 40 dB.”

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