High Court Issues Notices Over Navratri Garba Nights in Ramdaspeth
Nagpur residents file petition to stop Garba celebrations in Ramdaspeth, citing noise pollution; High Court issues notices.
by Nagpur Trends Team | Published on 2024-08-28 16:57:45
Nagpur, India: Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court have issued notices to respondents in a writ petition concerning the Garba festivities planned for Navratri 2024 in the Ramdaspeth area.
Residents of Ramdaspeth have filed the petition seeking to block permission for the Garba celebrations in their locality, arguing that the event’s high-decibel music and loudspeakers violate noise regulations and disturb the peaceful residential environment. The petitioners have requested that the Mor Hindi Upper Primary School ground, the planned venue for the event, be designated as a silent zone to prevent noise pollution.
The petitioners, including Dr. Shubhangi Satish Deshmane, Pawan Sarda, Sanyogita Dhanwatay, Rahul Dalmiya, Anurag Saraf, Varun Bajaj, and Nimish Sutaria, have challenged the decision of the Ramdaspeth Plot Owners and Residents Association to organize the Garba event. They cite a recent Supreme Court judgment, which did not specifically address noise pollution but left room for the matter to be revisited in court.
The respondents in the petition include the Secretaries of the Departments of Home, Cultural Affairs, and Urban Development of Maharashtra; the Commissioner of Police; the Assistant Commissioner of Police; the Municipal Commissioner; the Ramdaspeth Plot Owners and Residents Association; and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
The residents are particularly concerned about what they see as a violation of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules of 2000, which limit permissible noise levels in residential areas. They have also highlighted a 2023 agreement, which they claim limited the Garba event at the Mor Hindi Upper Primary School to one occasion. The petitioners are seeking a court order to prevent authorities from allowing the event this year.
The court has set a return date for the notice on September 5, 2024. Advocate R.M. Bhangdere represented the petitioners, while Additional Government Pleader Shishir Ukey represented the respondents.