The huge sound boxes installed on Red Road for the Durga Puja carnival on October 8 did not have any sound limiters, according to the agency in charge of setting up the sound system at the signature programme. Environmental activist has lodged a complaint with the West Bengal chief secretary about the high noise level at the carnival.
Sound limiters were only fitted to all amplifiers supplying sound to the 300-odd loudspeakers installed on Red Road and the roads through which the carnival procession made its way.
“We had around 300 loudspeakers linked to around 10 amplifiers and all of them were fitted with sound limiters,” a representative of the agency that managed sound at the carnival told The Plurals on Sunday morning. “We could not attach sound limiters to the amplifiers linked to sound boxes as it is technically difficult to fit those in our boxes, but we kept the noise level low.”
Datta, however, said the noise emitted by the boxes was high in decibel. “I passed the carnival area the day before when the mics were being tested and the noise was deafening, particularly from the boxes,” Datta told The Plurals. A member of the audience at the carnival, seated closed to the chief minister and other dignitaries, also confirmed the high noise level.
Datta plans to move court against the high noise level.
“… by virtue of the order of National Green Tribunal, Eastern Bench … it is mandatory in the state of West Bengal to fix sound limiters to the microphones/ loudspeakers played in the public place (and) there is a total embargo put by the Supreme Court of India on loud public address system like DJ,” wrote Datta is his complaint to the chief secretary. Copies of the letter have been sent to the director general of police and member secretary of state pollution control board
The green tribunal had, in an order dated November 13, 2019, said conditions on use of sound limiters will also be applicable to government and political functions. Another order dated November 13, 2019, stated that the chief secretary, director general of police and the state pollution control board would be responsible for enforcement of the directions.
“The green tribunal has only reiterated what Calcutta High Court and the state pollution control board had directed earlier. It is mandatory to fix sound limiters to all microphones, be it for loudspeakers or boxes, when used in the open,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, retired chief law officer of state pollution control board.
The pollution control board and the police seemed clueless. “We have no information about the use of sound limiters during the carnival,” said a PCB official.
“The PCB and the police need to answer why they have not performed the responsibilities as mandated under law, neither can shrug off responsibility,” said Naba Dutta, secretary of green platform Sabuj Mancha.
The officer in charge of the Maidan police station, under which Red Road falls, said the Information and Culture department had organised the carnival and would know about the sound level.
