Hyderabad police received 357 calls about noise pollution on Deepavali

The Hyderabad police responded to 357 dial 100 calls about noise pollution on Deepavali day on October 31.

DCP of (SMIT) K. Shilpavalli said that of the total 1,005 dial-100 calls, 357 were about noise pollution. “Of the 357, 25-30% were repeat ones,” she explained.

As per the data shared by the police, the highest number of calls (68) were received from the West Zone of Hyderabad, which includes areas such as Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Panjagutta. The least number of calls (31), were from the South Zone, which includes Charminar, Mirchowk, Chatrinaka and Falaknuma.

To curb noise pollution, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C.V. Anand had issued a directive limiting the use of high-decibel crackers in public areas and on roads during Deepavali. As per the memo, crackers could only be burst between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., and even then, had to adhere to Supreme Court noise level guidelines.

The decision came in response to numerous noise pollution complaints received by the police’s 100 helpline. The police categorised crackers into ‘sound emitting’ and ‘sound and light emitting’ types. While the former were banned in public spaces except during the specified hours, the latter could not exceed 55 decibels during daytime in residential areas.

Published - November 02, 2024 12:52 am IST