Bombay high court seeks list of days when noise norms are relaxed

The Bombay High Court today asked the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to submit the list of 30 days on which the noise control norms have been relaxed. The Bombay High Court today

asked the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to submit the list of 30 days on which the noise control norms have been relaxed. The division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice

Roshan Dalvi sought the list during the hearing of the petition filed by Adarsh Ramlila Samiti, seeking permission to stage Ramlila at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai from September 20 to

October 6. "Every time people come to us (HC) for permission. Why should we decide this? The government or the Corporation should form some policy," Chief Justice Shah said.

Following an order passed by the High Court in May last year, Shivaji Park was declared as silence zone. As a result, no function or rally can be held there without permission from the civic

body. The Corporation has decided to relax the noise pollution norms for altogether 30 days a year. It however refused to grant permission for Ramlila. Ashish Kamat, petitioner's

lawyer, said that Samiti had been holding the Ramlila and Dussera festival at Shivaji Park for several years, and it never violated the noise rules. But corporation lawyer Geeta Joglekar

said that it can allow the functions to be held there only on the Independence Day, Republic Day and birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Besides, permission is also given to Shiv

Sena's annual rally, and Veer Savarkar birth anniversary function. Next hearing will be on September 14.