The Bombay High Court has opened proceedings on its own motion over noise and air pollution during Ganeshotsav, questioning whether existing rules are being enforced when loudspeakers, high-decibel music and firecrackers continue beyond permitted hours.
A bench of Justices Girish S. Kulkarni and Neela G. Gokhale said public celebration cannot come at the cost of people who are exposed to noise, smoke and unsafe processions without choosing to participate. The court sought responses from government authorities and raised particular concern about permissions for DJ systems and the use of firecrackers in already polluted urban conditions.
The case is at an early stage. The court has not imposed a final prohibition or determined liability. Its intervention instead places enforcement practice under judicial review: what permissions are issued, how decibel limits are measured, whether the 10 p.m. cutoff is observed and what action follows a violation.
By taking cognizance without waiting for a conventional petitioner, the bench has framed festival regulation as a public-law question rather than a private neighborhood dispute. The next orders will determine whether the court settles for renewed instructions or requires a measurable monitoring and compliance system.
