On 27th November (Monday), the Uttar Pradesh Police removed around 3,238 illegal loudspeakers as part of its month-long drive to ensure sustained compliance with an order of the Allahabad High Court regarding noise pollution. Additionally, the decibel levels of 7288 loudspeakers that were found to be higher than the permissible limits were lowered.
मा0 मुख्यमंत्री उ0प्र0 एवं पुलिस महानिदेशक, उ0प्र0 के निर्देशानुसार विभिन्न जनपदों में धार्मिक स्थलों पर मानक के विपरीत संचालित लाउडस्पीकर्स/ध्वनि विस्तारक यंत्र को हटवाया गया एवं मानक सीमा के विपरीत पाए गए लाउडस्पीकर्स की ध्वनि को कम कराया गया।#UPPolice pic.twitter.com/Aw8XP84RfY
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) November 28, 2023
The UP Police started the drive on 27 November in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh against loudspeakers in public places, including religious centres. Through the drive, the authorities are probing whether the loudspeakers were put up legally or not. In case, the loudspeakers were installed illegally, the violators were served with notice and warned of stern action by the state authorities.
Special Director General, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said cops had been directed to visit religious places from 5 pm to 7 pm till December 22.
In every district, Police teams have been constituted for this month-long drive, and they comprise senior officials.
On the first day of the drive, around 61,399 loudspeakers installed at public/religious places were checked across the state, as per the details received from the state police headquarters.
In Agra, the police team removed 187 illegally installed loudspeakers from religious and other public places while it got the decibel levels of 79 loudspeakers reduced to permissible limits.
The Police Commissioner of Agra, Dr Preetinder Singh, said, “In all, 405 loudspeakers at public and religious places in Agra Commissionerate were cross-checked on Sunday and Monday. The campaign continued during the night and ended on Monday morning.”
He added, “In the city area of Agra district, 288 loudspeakers were checked. The decibel levels of 57 loudspeakers were lowered while 147 loudspeakers were brought down from public and religious sites.”
In compliance with the state government’s directions, around 300 loudspeakers were removed from religious places in Kanpur alone as they were found to be violating prescribed norms.
Apart from Agra and Kanpur, around 283 loudspeakers were removed in the Ambedkarnagar district while 195 illegal loudspeakers were removed in Bahraich.
#barabankipolice टीम द्वारा सार्वजनिक/धार्मिक स्थलों पर मानक के अनुरूप लाउडस्पीकरों/ध्वनि विस्तारक यंत्रों का प्रयोग न करने वालों के विरुद्ध चलाए गए अभियान व कार्यवाही के सम्बन्ध में पुलिस अधीक्षक उत्तरी, बाराबंकी की बाइट- #UPPolice@Uppolice@adgzonelucknow@igrangeayodhya pic.twitter.com/zuTGoHft9a
— Barabanki Police (@Barabankipolice) November 27, 2023
Similar actions all across the state come after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath passed orders to remove loudspeakers or sound amplifiers operating against the norms or beyond the prescribed decibel limit.
Court rulings
Notably, the Allahabad High Court and its Lucknow bench had repeatedly instructed the state government to address the issue of illegally installed loudspeakers on numerous occasions.
On 4th May 2022, Allahabad High Court’s bench comprising justices Vivek Kumar Birla and Vikas Budhwar said, “The law has now been settled that the use of a loudspeaker at a mosque is not a fundamental right. Even otherwise, a cogent reason has been assigned in the impugned order.”
The court issued the ruling while rejecting a petition filed by a resident of Budaun district. The petitioner had stated that the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Bisauli tehsil refused their request to use a loudspeaker for the call to prayer (azaan). The petitioner contended that the SDM’s decision was illegal and violated his fundamental and legal rights to use a loudspeaker at the mosque.
