Several Durga Puja pandals in Patna, including those near hospitals, played loudspeakers over the permissible sound level of 75 decibels (dB), the Bihar State Pollution Control Board has found out.

Four teams of the board and one led by the traffic superintendent of police went around 642 places with equipment to check the sound level. The teams found rampant use of sound systems above the permissible limit at 79 per cent of the locations between September 27 and 29 - Saptami and Navami - from 4pm to 12 midnight.

The tests were carried outside 481 pandals in the city.

The sound level outside 104 pandals was below 75dB, over 80dB at 121 pandals, and 100dB or more at 129 pandals. Few pandals near hospitals such as Sri Sri Kendriya Durga Puja Samiti Shivhanuman Mandir near PMCH were also on the louder side.

But the board has praised organisers of 24 pandals, including Jaleshwar Mandir, Kankerbagh, and Sri Radhe Krishna Mandir, Ashok Rajpath, for judicious use of loudspeakers during the festival.