Ban on unauthorised loudspeakers in UP

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the removal of unauthorised loudspeakers from religious and public places in the state.

The order also asked all district magistrates and police chiefs to ensure that the loudspeakers authorised for use follow the norms as per the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Act, 2000.

In the order dated January 4, 2018, principal secretary (home) Arvind Kumar asked officials to submit compliance reports by January 22 so that the government could file its affidavit in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court. The government has directed officials to identify the places with unauthorised loudspeakers by January 10 and issue notices to defaulters. As per the order, January 15 is the last date for getting authorisation after which all illegal loudspeakers should be removed by January 20. Hearing a PIL by one Moti Lal Yadav, the high court had asked the government on December 20 last year to inform within six weeks about the action it had taken to curb noise pollution.

The government has asked district authorities concerned to conduct a survey of permanently installed loudspeakers, show cause notices to those without permission, format of applying and issuing permission and action taken against those who had neither applied for permission nor complied with the terms and conditions of permission.

The officials have been asked to form a team and conduct surveys at religious places and markets where loudspeakers are installed. In the order, the DMS have been asked to categorise areas into industrial, commercial, residential and silence zones, as each area has separate limit for permissible sound level.