Thiruvananthapuram braces for noise pollution

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: City-dwellers started having disturbed sleep as loudspeakers began to roar from early morning with the arrival of the season of religious festivals.

A section of officials believes that awareness campaign last year will help them keep the decibel limits low. However, the passing of bucks continues as various departments are hesitant to take on offenders.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) which was voluntarily coordinating the efforts against sound pollution had backed out from the Safe Sound project.
They say police was not helpful enough in enforcement last year.

“The issue of loudspeakers can be solved only if police officials booked offenders but that did not happen last year, pointed out Dr John Panicker, chief convener of the National Initiative for Safe Sound programme. “There is a limit to what revenue staff and district administration can do.”

While arts and cultural clubs across the city corporation are gearing up for Attukal pongala, several small temples in areas like Muttathara and Keshavadasapuram have already installed loudspeakers.

Asked whether Attukal temple administration would give any advisory to local clubs as a good will gesture, trustees said that would purely be the responsibility of officials to control offenders.

“We strictly abide by norms while placing loudspeakers around temple premises. We have no control over other entities, and that have to be disciplined by officials,” said temple trust secretary C. Ajith Kumar.

District collector Biju Prabhakar had last year introduced a licensing scheme for mics operators to make them accountable for violations. Two - three cases of violation were fined in the rural district, but little was done across the city.