Pune Struggles as Noise Pollution Escalates

According to residents, decibel levels frequently exceed the thresholds mandated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Residential zones, which should not cross 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night, routinely breach these limits. Silence zones near hospitals and schools — where noise should remain under 50 dB by day and 40 dB at night — offer no such respite. Yet, enforcement remains elusive. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the statutory authority empowered to penalise noise polluters, has shown little evidence of proactive action. Its official website lacks updated noise-monitoring data. Despite having the legal backing to impose fines amounting to several lakhs, the frequency and impact of such measures remain opaque to the public. City residents, particularly in increasingly affected localities like Kalyani Nagar and Baner, speak of a growing health crisis linked to relentless noise. Monica Sharma, a long-time resident, shared, “From DJ systems to construction machinery running beyond legal hours, the situation is getting worse. We approach the police, the civic body, and the pollution control board — but no one takes ownership.”

The compartmentalised governance of noise pollution has worsened public trust. While vehicular noise falls under the traffic police, construction is governed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and ambient noise monitoring is MPCB’s domain. The lack of a unified command structure and real-time reporting mechanisms has rendered citizen complaints virtually ineffective. This administrative dissonance has left Pune’s vision of becoming a clean, green, and liveable city hanging in limbo. While residents continue to demand regulatory enforcement and real-time monitoring infrastructure, the authorities appear to be engaged in a silent blame game.

Without an integrated urban noise policy and transparent accountability mechanisms, Pune risks not only breaching environmental norms but also alienating its citizens from the very idea of sustainable urban living.
If a growing metropolis like Pune, with its educated and vocal middle class, is unable to compel its civic bodies to act on a fundamental health concern, it sets a grim precedent for the rest of India’s aspiring smart cities.

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Pune Struggles as Noise Pollution Escalates