29 September,2026 08:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Aditi Alurkar
Loudspeakers being used during a Ganesh visarjan procession. File pic
Loudspeakers and dhol-tasha groups were joined by firecrackers, smoke machines and laser lights during this year's Ganapati visarjan. Awaaz Foundation Chief Sumaira Abdulali has written to the Maharashtra Chief Minister seeking enforcement against crackers, smoke machines and bright lasers before upcoming festivals.
"There are rules and High Court guidelines that have already been laid out for controlling noise pollution. All we ask is for the government to strictly enforce their existing guidelines even during times of celebration," Abdulali told mid-day.
According to her letter to the CM, firecrackers were used at Worli Naka at 10.30 pm on September 25, while smoke machines were used between 11 pm and midnight near Girgaon Chowpatty and Opera House.
The Awaaz Foundation claimed that firecracker noise was much higher than the prescribed limit in residential areas. In its 2022 testing with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), firecracker noise ranged from 71.4 dB to 114 dB, against the 45 dB limit permitted beyond 10 pm in a Residential Zone.
The group has also called for controls on smoke devices, citing their ambiguous composition and contribution to air pollution.
[popcorn number="10.30 pm" desc="Time on September 25 when firecrackers were allegedly used at Worli Naka" class="Default"]
The Foundation raised concerns over air-polluting smoke machines and bright laser lights directly pointed at households. Abdulali said it was time to get ahead of light pollution before it leads to health hazards.
During the September 25-26 visarjan, peak noise readings hit 107.8 dB in Bandra West, 107 dB in Worli and 103 dB at Girgaon Chowpatty. Under the Rules, the permissible limit in a residential zone after 10 pm is 45 dB. The highest level thus far was recorded in 2024 at 115 dB at Opera House.
Abdulali said, "This year we saw a wave of social change, where the mandals have already refrained from using loudspeakers, and very few violations went above 100 dBs. Things have slowly begun taking shape on ground, and now law and order need to tighten up."
