Alok Singh
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, on 18 December, 2024, examined concerns surrounding a concert by singer Diljit Dosanjh in Chandigarh, where the noise levels reportedly exceeded permissible limits set under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
Despite earlier conditional approval for the event on December 14 at Sector 34, which required noise levels to remain under 75 decibels, monitoring revealed violations of the same. There were recommendations for penal action under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and related noise pollution regulations.
According to an affidavit filed by the Chandigarh administration, a special committee monitored sound levels at various points during the event and, as per the observation, recorded between 60.3 and 83.5 decibels before the concert.
However, the noise level reached 93.1 decibels near the venue during the event, which is above the threshold limit. The affidavit emphasized the need for strict enforcement to address these violations.
The court proceedings arose from a PIL filed by Ranjeet Singh before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal. The appellant expressed concerns over the insufficient planning for traffic management, noise control, and emergency services during the concert. He sought to restrain the organizers from proceeding with the event without adequate safety measures. Similar concerns were expressed regarding the upcoming events.
The Bench admitted the gravity of the issues but found no immediate urgency to address the matter and scheduled further hearings for January.