29 years on, Aizawl's 'Big Ben' falls silent after noise pollution complaint

AIZAWL: After chiming for 29 years at a stretch, Aizawl's 'Big Ben' has fallen silent (10:00pm to 6:00 am) following following a complaint of noise pollution from an anonymous resident.
Aizawl SP C Lalruaia, in a notice on September 19, told the Salvation Army Temple Corps authorities to silence the clock for the aforementioned duration. The notice cited a Supreme Court ruling and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control Rules) 2000 that "prohibited noise" during the said hours.
Sources from the Salvation Army said the clock, located at the centre of Aizawl city called Temple Square, has been stopped three weeks ago following the SP's notice. They added that the Salvation Army has made an appeal to the state home commissioner H Lalengmawia to revoke the order.
The Aizawl Temple, atop which the clock is placed, is owned by the Salvation Army, one of the biggest Christian denominations in Mizoram. The clock was installed in 1993.
The anonymous complainant has drawn flak from the public who expressed their resentment on the social media on Sunday. Many said hearing the clock striking at night has been comforting. Some even went to the extent of saying that the sound of gunshots early in the morning and ringing of bells at every hour by the Assam Rifles personnel, having a battalion headquarters a few metres from the Temple Square, were more annoying.
One netizen said what the Supreme Court order banned loudspeakers and public address systems from 10 pm to 6 am. "If we have to follow the Supreme Court order, the public address system in each locality in Aizawl that occasionally makes important announcements after 10:00 pm will need to be banned," he added.
Mizoram State Pollution Control Board secretary C Lalduhawma said the decibel of the clock was never measured by the board as it was mandated to measure noises in the industrial areas. "Music or other noises are under the purview of the DM or police."