Noise laws focus on peaceful nights

New Delhi, Mar 15: Making nights less noisy and more peaceful - that has been the thrust of the government in regulating noise pollution.

Through the recent amendment dated January 11, 2010, stress has been laid on making the night time less noisy and peaceful, Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Jairam Ramesh said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

The Central Government had notified the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, on February 14, 2000. The said Noise Rules, 2000, have been amended four times so far, i.e., in November, 2000, in October, 2002, in September, 2006 and in January, 2010.

The minister said restrictions have been imposed on use of horns, sound emitting construction equipment and bursting of fire crackers during night time.

The said Noise Rules, 2000, require the concerned State/Union Territory Administration to designate an 'Authority' responsible for maintaining the ambient noise standards in respective State/UT.

Similarly, number and particular of days, not exceeding 15 in a calendar year, on which a two hour exemption (10.00 p.m. to 12.00 midnight), for use of loudspeaker or public address system and the like, would be operative, are to be notified by the concerned State Governments on the pattern of notification of Gazetted holidays, Ramesh said.

The 'Authority' mentioned above in the State Government may seek the assistance of State Pollution Control Board or concerned Police Station, as the case may be, for monitoring noise.