Patna, Jan. 2: The district administration today clamped down on musical bands and DJs in a bid to curb noise pollution.

The directives issued instructed bands and DJs not to perform after 10pm at any cost and also banned the sale and purchase of pressure horns.

When chief minister Nitish Kumar chaired the review meet of the transport department a few days ago, he had categorically asked the officials concerned to curb use of pressure horns.

At a high-level meeting convened at Patna collectorate today, Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said: "I have been getting complaints from different sections of people, especially the elderly and patients, regarding the problem of loud noise. I have also come to know that people play loudspeakers after 10pm in violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. Now, musical bands and DJs must take prior permission from sub-divisional officer to perform anywhere in the city." Though adoption of several measures is being contemplated to control air pollution, not much is being done by the district administration to control the alarming level of noise pollution in the city.

According to the 2013-14 annual report compiled by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board on noise level monitoring of Patna, only four of 19 locations in sensitive/silence zone, 32 out of 96 locations under residential zone and four of eight locations under industrial zone, showed ambient noise level within the permissible limit as prescribed by the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, under the Environment Protection (Amendment) Act, 1996. In case of violation, Agarwal said: "If music is played after 10pm or without permission from the official concerned, the musical instruments of the DJ or the band party would be confiscated. In case of marriage and community halls, their licences would be cancelled. During the marriage season, permission is must. It is also the duty of the station house officer that they do not allow playing loudspeakers from 10pm to 6am in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Else, action would also be taken against the police as well."

Patna City superintendent (central) Chandan Kushwaha and superintendent of police (traffic) P.K. Das were also present in the meeting.

"If anyone is found selling pressure horns, those would be confiscated and FIRs would be lodged under the IPC and code of criminal procedure (CrPC). People using pressure horns in their vehicles must pay a fine of Rs 1,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act. If the same vehicle is caught again, the fine would be Rs 2,000," said Agarwal.