Hyderabad City police move to rein in decibel demon

Hyderabad: Though the organisers of Ganesh pandals at many places violate specified time limit for using loudspeakers beyond 10 pm, so far, no cases were booked by City police.

According to police officials, they have been receiving complaints about the disturbance caused by the music or band during the Ganesh festivities, particularly during nights; but the violators are warned and let-off. This kind of strategy, the officials say, has worked out for the past several years, as the violators mend their ways fearing that equipment would be seized by the police. Nonetheless, there are occasions when some pandals take special permission to hold bhajans during the nights during the 10- day festivities.

“Strict adherence to Supreme Court’s direction is maintained. If there are any complains, at first, we warn them that the sound should be reduced or completely removed. If they fail to pay heed, cases would be booked. But mostly we stick to practice of deterrence,” said V V Srinivas, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order).

Mumbai would be only another city that can match the fervour of Hyderabad during Ganesh festivities. According to estimates, there are more than 30,000 pandals this year. The City Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy, while citing Supreme Court directions to keep the 'noise levels' under permissible limits, asked the organisers not to use loud speaker or Public Address System between 10 pm and 6 am.