Nagpur: Failure to maintain a record of action taken on a noise pollution complaint has landed an Ambazari Police Inspector in trouble, with the Nagpur Police Commissioner reprimanding the officer and imposing a fine of Rs 500 on a beat marshal for failing to document the action. The lapse came to light in affidavits submitted by the city police before the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday in a series of public interest litigations concerning noise pollution, illegal firecracker use and modified vehicle silencers.
The High Court had specifically directed the Ambazari Police Inspector to submit a separate affidavit explaining the handling of a complaint lodged on October 11 through the Noise Free Nagpur portal. The complaint reportedly highlighted excessive noise emanating from a construction site. However, the failure to maintain a proper record of the action taken prompted the court’s intervention and resulted in disciplinary action within the police department.
The affidavit was filed by Sandip Pakhale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch), on behalf of the Police Commissioner, in response to the High Court’s October 30 order. The court had sought detailed information on several violations, including bursting of firecrackers on public roads, use of crackers exceeding the permissible 55-decibel noise limit, illegal modified silencers and the licensing system governing firecracker dealers.
Addressing the issue of firecracker pollution, the police informed the court that a public notice issued on September 15 had directed sellers, shopkeepers and wholesalers to sell only green firecrackers. The directive was based on the National Green Tribunal’s November 9, 2020 order and a communication from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, which categorised Nagpur as a city with moderate air pollution.
The police have also tightened restrictions on the issuance of temporary firecracker licences. Such licences will not be granted along busy stretches and sensitive locations, including Sitabuldi Main Road, Mahal Chowk, the Mayo Hospital area and Gokulpeth Market.
The sale and use of firecracker chains have also been prohibited. Licence holders have been specifically bound by Condition No. 15 to comply with the Supreme Court’s directions, the affidavit stated.
Despite these restrictions, violations have continued. The police informed the court that action had been initiated against 10 persons under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for violating licence conditions. To strengthen public awareness, the department has also conducted around 363 awareness programmes.
Citizens have been encouraged to report violations through the police control room’s round-the-clock helpline, 9823300100. Awareness messages regarding permissible firecracker use and restrictions have also been circulated through social media groups.
In a separate affidavit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Aaditya Mirkhelkar detailed the action taken against vehicles fitted with illegally modified silencers, which contribute to excessive noise pollution on city roads.
According to the affidavit, six offences were registered at Sadar police station during September and October in connection with incidents reported from the Civil Lines area. The cases were registered under Sections 5 and 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
In a significant enforcement drive, traffic police destroyed 372 modified silencers seized between January 1 and September 5. The destruction was carried out under a road roller on September 5 to ensure that the confiscated equipment could not be reused or fitted back onto vehicles.
Explaining the action, Mirkhelkar stated, “Destruction was carried out to render unauthorised modified silencers unusable and prevent reuse or refitting in vehicles.”
The affidavits place the city’s enforcement machinery under judicial scrutiny, with the High Court seeking concrete details of preventive measures, field-level action and accountability in tackling noise pollution. The disciplinary action in the Ambazari complaint also underscores the importance of maintaining proper records and ensuring that public grievances do not remain unattended or undocumented.
The proceedings cover multiple aspects of noise pollution enforcement, ranging from construction-site disturbances and firecracker violations to illegal vehicle modifications, putting the police response and implementation of existing regulations under the court’s scanner.
