‘Specify time limit for setting up zones for noise regulation’

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State to file an affidavit specifying a time limit for categorising areas in the city and state into different zones with noise level limits. 
Taking serious note of the ‘silence’ from the Government for 19 years on creating noise-free zones under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, the High Court asked for how long it would take to mark areas as industrial, commercial, residential and silent zones. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shriniwas Oka and Justice H T Narendra Prasad issued this direction and made it clear that the affidavit should be filed on or before August 13 so that it will hear the matter further on August 16. The Court was hearing a public interest litigation seeking directions to stop noise pollution caused by pubs in Indiranagar and surrounding areas. 

While issuing directions, the court said that the State Government produced records showing steps taken and its attention was invited to the meeting held by the Chief Secretary on July 8 as well as the draft notification dated July 19 on declaring silent zones. The draft notification needs a change, the court said.  
“Noise pollution rules cannot be implemented unless the State government takes the step of notifying silent areas or zones as contemplated under rules. The State government should categorise residential, industrial and commercial or silent areas under noise pollution rules”, the court said. 

The court has also noted that for almost a period of 19 years, the State Government had not conducted the exercise and had also not procured necessary equipment to measure noise levels. “Therefore, noise pollution rules are not implemented. This apart, the State Government has not exercised its power to appoint authority under rules to implement them,” it said while pointing out classification of areas based on air quality had not been carried out as well. “In the absence of categorisation, rules cannot be implemented,” it said.

Therefore, we direct the State Government to file an affidavit explaining the outer time limit for compliance of directions for notifying the categorisation and also for procurement of noise measuring equipment on or before August 13,” the court said.